Postcards from Moments in Time
by Aquarius Galuxy
Summary: But he is also the reason her heart is broken and she dares not offer it again. [Vignettes, NejiTen.]
1. Part 1

_I'm taking a break from Recollections of Heaven for a bit (have some vague ideas for it but they are slow to materialize)... So here I am with more NejiTen prompt fiction, this time with a lot of punctuation abuse. ;) The scenes here vary in rating and setting (ie there is a bit of AU here and there). Prompts are from the 1sentence community on LJ._

_Naruto and its characters, as usual, do not belong to me. _

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**#01 - Comfort**

French fries are really not the ideal food to binge on when one is down, Tenten thinks, even as she grabs three fingers of hot, fat- and sodium-laden goodness and crams them in her mouth (but the Golden Arches serves them perfectly, and with copious amounts of sugar in their soft-serve ice cream to complete the Holy Trinity of Unhealthy Food) when a pale hand reaches in front of her face and picks a fry off her tray, bringing it to the grim countenance of one Hyuuga Neji, who has just slid into the booth across from her - "Why are you avoiding me, Tenten?"

**#02 - Kiss**

When Gai-sensei spontaneously announces, "Today, we will bask in the springtime of youth - I will teach you to kiss!" Tenten stares at him in horror, mouth agape, and forgets how to breathe (Lee leaps into the air and whoops, his cheeks rosy and lips puckered) and Neji releases a controlled exhalation in favor of flying into a rage imagining them all having to practice on one another - until a stroke of brilliance crashes into his thoughts; he crosses the short distance to Tenten, shuts her hanging jaw with a touch to her chin, and ("You mean this?") presses his mouth to hers (like he's always wanted to do) and, just like that, pandemonium explodes on their training grounds.

**#03 - Soft**

Soft, Tenten's punch is not, when her fist connects with Neji's jaw and she screeches ("Neji, how _dare_ you steal my first kiss like... like _that_?!"), blood heating her face - the instinct to defend against her embarrassment overrides the flutter of hope his actions have brought about; the situation is worsened by the fact that Gai and Lee are ogling openly at their exchange, and excitement floods Lee's face when he starts towards her ("My fair lotus, may I practice with you too-"); Tenten screams in frustration and grabs Neji by the arm, yelling at the Green Beasts to _leave them alone_ while she settles her score with the Hyuuga prodigy.

**#04 - Pain**

Pain is what Neji expects and does not receive, as Tenten whirls upon him in their semi-private part of the forest, hazel eyes flashing ("I thought you, of all people, would've been the last person to do that in front of Gai and Lee-") and she grabs him by his shirt and yanks hard, her lips meeting furiously with his.

**#05 - Potatoes**

"Is this a potato?" Tenten asks over her shoulder, brushing soil off the round, heavy weight with her dirt-crusted fingers - living alone in the forests with Neji in this new, post-war apocalypse is pushing their survival instincts to the limits; there are only so many animals they can hunt without the species going extinct - and watches as Neji surveys the packed ground with his Byakugan, her stomach growling as it is wont to do these days; a delighted squeal bursts from her lips when he gives a solemn nod in answer ("Yes, there are several clusters of them under us.")

**#06 - Rain**

The keen, steady stare of Neji's lilac eyes is almost lost on Tenten (but not quite) when she flops unceremoniously down on the long grass, her body sweaty and worn from the day's sparring practices - "Aren't you going to do the same?" she calls over her shoulder and relishes the patter of cool droplets on her face, loosing the first two buttons on her shirt to expose hot skin - and Neji gains a new appreciation for rain (not his hormones) when the drizzle turns into a downpour and his teammate's clothes fade to sheerness.

**#07 - Chocolate**

Neji sets a hot fudge sundae in front of her ("Thought you might like this," he supplies) - how did he know that she's been contemplating one for her mountain of fries? - and Tenten thanks him, dipping two from her pile into the pool of chocolate (the texture of which resembles the tension between them now, molten from block-like chunks when he first made his appearance); she hands one fudge-coated fry to him, and smirks when he lifts an eyebrow ("Too chicken to try it, Neji?").

**#08 - Happiness**

Rainbows and sunshine do not spew from the Happy Meal box he later purchases and sets on the table (they must look strange, with what seems to be five hundred French fries, a half-eaten sundae, chicken nuggets and apple slices between them); rather, the burst of joyous singing does occur when Tenten sidles into his side of the booth and gives him a chocolate-and-fries Fench kiss (and Neji realizes that someone did indeed swap the background audio tapes of the fast food joint, when he regains his awareness much later).

**#09 - Telephone**

"Tenten-" "-hey, what's up-" "-I see your new phone is working-" "-did you call just to ask me that-" "-no, that is something Lee would do _(smirk)_-" "-so why did you-" "-do you want to meet up to study for that Literature test tomorrow-" "-sure, seing as how Mr. Know-It-All can't fathom the emotions of puny humans-" "-oh really-" "-will you stop interrupting me already-" "-no, why should I-" "-well, for the record, Neji, I would appreciate if you-" "-ravaged you in a passionate kiss-" "-what, are you out of your mind _(sputterBLUSH)_-" "-isn't that in Literature books-" "-where you found that book, I don't want to know-" "-yes, you do-" "-fine, where did you-" "-in the community library-" "-have you returned it yet-" "-yes, but if you come over right now, I'll show you what I remember of it-" "-don't leave the spot, Neji, I'm heading right over-" -_end tone, end tone end tone_.

**#10 - Ear**

The flurry of tingles racing across her skin is not one Tenten expects, when Neji's lips descend on the shell of her ear and he suckles on soft cartilege and anticpation coils in her veins; a moan slips from her throat, her eyes shutter, and all she can think about is lips and teeth and tongue.

**#11 - Name**

Reality keels over the moment they realize an illusion has befallen them, when Naruto addresses her as "Hyuuga Tenten" and Neji is just Neji, with no clan name or family ties, and they stare at each other, wondering just how different their lives would be with a complete reversal in their identities.

**#12 - Sensual**

The titillating nature of shedding rain-drenched clothing has never occurred to Neji, until a thunderstorm forces them to share a motel room with no ensuite, and Tenten pulls the ribbons out of her hair to release damp chocolate tresses; she shrugs out of her long-sleeved shirt, and all Neji sees is the touch of yellow candlelight caressing wet contours as she moves - he makes a conscious attempt to look away then.

**#13 - Death**

She almost drops the shaker in her hand when a man with long ebony hair and lilac eyes seats himself at the bar; he affixes his unwavering stare at her (one that triggers too many memories) and orders a Long Island Iced Tea, and then says her name, "Tenten?", and it is all she can do to turn away, keep the hurt out of her face, and grab a new glass, finding her voice at length, "I am Tian - Tenten is no longer alive."

**#14 - Sex**

A month after the failed lesson on Kissing, Gai faces his team again and announces, "Today, my green leaves and flower, I will teach you the most important lesson on human relationships - Sex," because all three of them are orphans, and who will give them The Talk but him? - Tenten's jaw promptly drops to the ground, Neji is uncharacteristically attentive, and Lee already has his trusty notebook open and is scribbling furiously in it; out of the corner of his eye, he sees Tenten swallow and glance furtively at Neji, and he is quick to resume the lecture, "Most important of all is your responsibility..."

**#15 - Touch**

This is really not happening, Tenten thinks, as she watches the beige inflatable dolls Gai pulls from a bush begin to swell with each energized puff of air Gai and Lee force into them (the shapes the dolls take are lewd and exaggerated, and she would have pulled Neji away, if not for the fact that he's actually listening to Gai like there's something to learn); Gai turns to them when the dolls are done and uses them to mimic caresses, first on their faces, before proceeding lower down - Tenten winces, looks at Neji again, and knows that any kind of fumbling, private learning would be better than this.

**#16 - Weakness**

She breaks down when Gai begins to maneuver the dolls' privates together ("The sweetest nectar of a flower, Lee!") and yells in frustration, grabbing the collar of Neji's shirt and hauling him far, far away, to where there is a little grassy spot in a tight bamboo forest, and it is silent, and releases him, gritting with a blush (before she panicks and retracts her offer), "I can practice with you, instead of us learning from Gai."

**#17 - Tears**

Tenten almost cries tears of mortification when Neji tells her that he already knows everything Gai mentioned in that awkward lesson on sex (he was curious to see how far Gai would go (and Tenten's reaction to the topic, but he does not mention that)); Neji tugs her down on to the grass beside him, and traces a finger lightly over her forearm, watching carefully as she shivers; her eyes fly up to his - he smirks, and leans in to press his lips to hers.

**#18 - Speed**

Slow, almost languidly, is the pace they take in that quiet bamboo forest, from the way Neji disrobes and Tenten runs exploratory fingers down his chest, to how, much later, she parts her legs before him, breathing unevenly, and he drags a gentle fingertip down the seam of her wet flesh.

**#19 - Wind**

Voices carry on the wind, painfully familiar, and Neji and Tenten have a second to share a panicked glance, before he snatches their clothes up and pushes her bodily down onto the grass, pulling a large sheet over them as camouflage; the voices of Gai and Lee draw nearer, and then further, and it is a long moment of thumping heartbeats before Tenten realizes that Neji is moist and pressing an indent into her belly.

**#20 - Freedom**

The liberty that comes hand-in-hand with the end of the school year is tinted bittersweet this time; Tenten turns to face her two best friends, Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee, both in graduation gowns and with diplomas in hand, and pulls them into a hug; she is especially reluctant to release Neji, who will be attending a faraway prestigious university, and whom she's harbored feelings towards for years (Lee is privy to this secret), though she pulls away eventually and gives him a long stare; he presses a slip of paper into her palm with an intense look of his own and murmurs, "Keep in touch."


	2. Part 2

_I'm back with more prompts.. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing them :) One of my favourite things about these drabble-sentences is that they actually are related sometimes! (And sometimes they're related to the previous 20.) Prompts are from LJ community 1sentence._

_Again, Naruto and its characters do not belong to me._

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**#21 - Life**

Neji stays at the bar late into the night, ordering more drinks from the bartender who is steadily avoiding him (does she think he'd believe that their past is dead now?) until she ends her shift and he follows her into the back alley, holding his position when she whirls on him like a savage cat, her eyes flashing in the dim lamplight ("What do you want?") and it hurts to see the fury and distrust in her glare; he stares her down and murmurs, "How do I bring Tenten back to life?"

**#22 - Jealousy**

"I don't know who Tenten is," she snarls at him, and for a moment, he wonders if this woman in front of him (with her dark hair twisted into a single loose knot and her tan skin triggering recollections of stolen nights during his college days) is really the wrong person instead, but he remembers her earlier words and catches her wrist (warm, so warm), allowing words to rise to his tongue, "I asked Lee, he told me you were here-" -and she screeches in fury, flinging his grip off ("How dare he?" she seethes and spins away), and Neji is unable to contain the question that has been burning within him, "Are you seeing another man?"

**#23 - Hands**

"I have space for no man in my life," she bites, stalking deeper into the alley before she allows the memories of Neji's hands to tip her balance, "Leave me alone-" -and strong arms wrap suddenly around her waist - she kicks and struggles and threatens to scream, but Neji turns her around and presses her back into the brick wall, holding her still with the weight of his body, his fingers rubbing circles in her palms.

**#24 - Taste**

"I'm sorry, Tenten," he whispers, and Tenten feels her bearings scatter, even as he tips his face down towards hers and his breath falls upon her lips (it has been too long since she's touched him and she knows the pleasure he has to give- but he is also the reason her heart is broken and she dares not offer it again), her pulse beats a quick staccato, and then Neji's mouth is on hers and she tries her best to resist him, trapped between him and the alley wall; he trails his kisses to her jaw briefly and she gasps, heat searing straight into her middle, and Neji snatches that opportunity to return to her lips, urging her mouth to open to his; he tastes of whiskey and rum and _Neji_; a moan escapes her throat, unbidden, and Tenten knows she is on the verge of caving in to him.

**#25 - Devotion**

"Princess Tenten," Sir Hyuuga Neji salutes as he kneels before her, shining armor clinking on cobblestone, "I hereby promise my everlasting devotion and service to you; your wish is my command-" -she rests a hand on his shoulder, a grin tugging on her lips, hazel eyes sparkling; the new liege of Fire is every bit of sunshine and cheer he is not, and he sees why her father has chosen the very best to be the guards by her side.

**#26 - Forever**

They find themselves in her chamber months later (a room fit for the ruler of a kingdom, with a majestic ebony four-poster bed and high windows draped with luxurious curtains, embroidered carpets covering every inch of the floor), and Tenten bids him remove his armor (he looks to her in question; she smiles), so he does as she says, slowly, and when he is in his shirt and breeches, he kneels before her again, taking her fingers in his hand, and vows, "I am forever your loyal servant, Princess Tenten-" -she stops him with a finger to his lips, and corrects him, "I am Tenten to you," and with that, he looks up at her, allowing his masks to fall; Tenten smiles again, and leans down to meet his lips with hers.

**#27 - Blood**

There are specks of crimson on the pristine sheets when they leave the bed (Princess Tenten has been chaste until now, after all), and guilt rises in Neij's chest, that he has ruined her (even if he is glad that she feels for him as he does her), and he does not regret having been tangled with her between the sheets, having their skins meet and tasting her most intimately (she had moaned and clutched his head to her); Tenten promises that it will be fine, and he slips from one of the secret passages in her room, thinking, knowing that little will stop him from visiting her every night henceforth.

**#28 - Sickness**

There is a rumor astir in the castle that the Princess is ill, and Neji is one of the first to discover that the physician has pronounced the Princess with child; like a cannonball to his gut, he feels sick to his stomach that he is the cause of it, that he should have been more careful, that Tenten will have to face the repercussions of their trysts; yet at the same time, he is oddly affected, that Tenten is now bearing _their_ child in her belly, and he hopes it will be a fine, strong son they'll be proud of.

**#29 - Melody**

Christmas jingles are blaring all over in the mall, spurring Tenten's cheer to new heights; she drags Neji along with her excitedly, in one store and out another (except the clothes shops, she knows he has no patience for those), and from the corner of her eye, she notices that the ornamental weapons store has a new, shiny display; without tugging on Neji's arm this time, she rushes ahead and presses her nose against the glass, hazel eyes glued to the intricate carving of a dragon on a spear (she swallows hard when she glimpses the figures on the price tag), and sighs, seasonal music (and Neji's approaching footsteps) falling deaf on her ears - this was one weapon they really could not afford.

**#30 - Star**

When Tenten opens the plain, heavy box that Neji hands her, she feels her heart thump, and thump again when she parts the thin paper tissues loosely wrapped around a burnished metal dagger, a familiar dragon carving extending from the hilt of its gleaming blade; she picks it up with disbelieving fingers, and finds a slender ring beneath; her gaze flies to Neji's; he smirks, and Tenten thinks she might have wished on a reliable shooting star for once.

**#31 - Home**

The small apartment Tenten resides in, that Neji moves into, is a far cry from his room in the Hyuuga compounds; here, he does not sense eyes constantly on his every movement; neither does the relative mess of Tenten's scrolls and belongings irk him (in fact, he finds objects of note amongst them sometimes, like one of the adult novels Kakashi is always reading, and a lace thong he never knew she possessed); but there's something to be said for his favourite part about living with Tenten - being able to catch her expressions as they cycle through their days, and curling up together in bed, just inhaling her scent; this is where Neji finally feels at home.

**#32 - Confusion**

Gai and Lee are visibly upset and bewildered when they show up the next day for training ("Where did you go after my youthful lesson on Sex?" Gai howls, just as Lee explains, "We looked everywhere for you, Gai-_sensei_ said you mustn't miss out on the most important part!"), and Tenten shares an awkward look with Neji, trying very hard not to recall the texture of his skin on hers, and just how intimately she'd learned Neji's body (but some semblance of the truth must have slipped from the heat on her face, because Gai is staring hard at them, and Lee is more confused than ever).

**#33 - Fear**

He kisses her and winds his fingers in her hair, afraid that if he lets Tenten go this time, it's the last time he'll see her (and he is sure she is Tenten, not Tian) - which is why Neji doesn't release her from the brick wall of the alley, and instead kindles her need the only way he knows how; he suckles on her ear, then her neck, stroking her hip slowly, smoothing over the underside of her breast with his thumb, until she arches against him and gasps his name, "_Neji!_"

**#34 - Lightning/Thunder**

There is a downpour outside when they finally stumble into Tenten's apartment, lips locked and hands clawing at each other's clothes; the apartment is lit for moments by consecutive flashes of lighting; Neji kicks the door shut and maneuvers them to the nearest couch (Tenten has given up on unbuttoning his shirt and is reaching for the bulge in his pants; he grunts, thrusts at her, busying himself with unknotting her hair and yanking her shirt up (her nipples are stiff and she writhes when he strokes them); thunder crashes, and neither of them pays it any heed.

**#35 - Bonds**

The ties to reality lie in their clothes - Neji's in his lawyer's suit, and Tenten's in her bartender outfit - so he does his best to remove every single item on them (his breath catches at the exquisiteness of her bare form) and carries her to her bed (thankfully a queen); Tenten welcomes him with parted thighs the moment he crawls over to her, her eyes hazy with desire, and he catches her lips once more; the bond he does forge between them is one of flesh, when he reaches between them and presses a finger into her slick core.

**#36 - Market**

Nothing seems amiss on Lord Hyuuga Neji's usual morning ride through the villages, until a small riot breaks out in one market as he passes through, and a dagger is flung straight at him - before he can draw his sword, an apple collides with the dagger, knocking it completely off-course, and the onlookers are stunned into silence (he turns and looks at where the apple came from, only to meet the fierce hazel gaze of a girl at the fruit stall, her hair oddly shaped into twin buns atop her head).

**#37 - Technology**

The advent of the internet and chatrooms has brought countless of strangers together, not in the least a certain PrincessPanda and HProdigy in the Konoha portal (FoxBoy and Fangz love discussing pranks publicly; TaijutsuForever is always shouting about _YOUTH_ with GreenBeastofSpring); the board gets so full of chatter that PrincessPanda sends HProdigy messages in private, to continue their discussions on battle history and personal training (she does not deny the thrill of excitement that makes her sit straighter whenever he logs into the chatroom).

**#38 - Gift**

It is to PrincessPanda's great surprise when HProdigy suggests they meet in person just before Christmas - they arrange to rendezvous at the Golden Arches in a mall between their homes (he lives unexpectedly close to her); she wears her hair in their usual twin buns and almost falls from her seat when HProdigy ("I have long hair and white eyes," he tells her before the meeting) takes his place across the table (he's _the_ Hyuuga Neji?!), looking nothing like she imagined (much more regal and handsome, in fact) and places an elegant gift bag in front of her, murmuring, "Thought I'd get you something for Christmas, PrincessPanda."

**#39 - Smile**

Neji tries not to smirk at PrincessPanda's surprise; she stares mutely at the bag he's just placed on the table, before she gives a start and grins sheepishly at him, grabbing a plainly-wrapped box from her bag ("Here, Merry Christmas, HProdigy," she returns); he accepts it with quiet thanks ("Are you going to open yours?" he inquires, and nods when she lifts her eyebrows in question); the huge smile that lights her face when her gaze lands on the polished _kunai_ makes Neji want to know her better, even if she is only PrincessPanda to him now.

**#40 - Innocence**

The seeming innocence of PrincessPanda (or rather, Tenten) strikes Neji most acutely in the way she does not attempt to get in his good graces, and instead treats him as an equal; they pick up on the military strategy discussion in their private messages, proceeding to ancient weapons (during which Tenten's excitement gets the better of her), and it is dusk when either of them thinks about leaving, that Tenten finally asks about his personal life, like she doesn't already know who he is (and he is very grateful for that).


	3. Part 3

_And... Welcome to more AU (and otherwise) little vignettes and punctuation mark abuse! Do you have a favorite universe out of all these? ;)_

_Naruto and its characters do not belong to me._

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**#41 - Completion**

There is no real end to their friendship, their relationship, their whatever-was-between-them, when Neji takes that too-large stake to his chest for Hinata's sake and collapses to the ground; Tenten finds herself numb with shock, then understanding (because Neji has chosen his destiny and she will be damned before she would rather see him unwillingly follow others' expectations of him), and she doesn't allow grief to overcome her (yet) - but there is a resounding finality that he has shut the book of him and her, leaving the last chapters unwritten.

**#42 - Clouds**

In the clouds that make up Heaven, there is a pond that allows one to look down into mortal Earth; Neji searches for this as soon as he gets wind of it (how is everyone he's left behind?) and finds it, rimmed with mist; he peers into the smooth surface, his mind whirling around Hinata, Naruto, and Tenten, and breathes a huge sigh of relief when he finds them alive, fighting still (Tenten's expression is impassive as she fights, and he wonders if she knows he's dead, if she's furious that he's left her behind).

**#43 - Sky**

When night has fallen and both sides of the war have retreated until dawn breaks again, Tenten allows herself to take a breather; she's been feeling eyes on her all day and there is no one she can spy watching her every move (it creeps her out, knowing there is someone she's unaware of); but when the temporary shelters are teeming with quiet activity and she doesn't have to be on her guard as much, her gaze meanders to the starless sky, and she wonders if it is Neji watching over her instead.

**#44 - Heaven**

It gets boring in Heaven, Neji discovers (there's no one he's interested in sparring with and the weather never quite changes); he stumbles upon his father quite by accident one day, playing _shogi_ with Asuma; father and son are equally excited at meeting the other; Hizashi brings him home to meet his mother, and Neji finds himself telling them about Naruto, Hinata and his uncle, Hiashi; he saves Team Gai for last (everyone's got time when you're in Heaven) - exclamations of springtime and blinding smiles and Tenten- she is the world to him and he doesn't have quite enough words to describe her; his parents share a look and _know_.

**#45 - Hell**

Neji takes his parents to the looking-glass pond and shows them Team Gai, but they are in the midst of a war right now, and Gai is burning himself to a crisp; it makes Neji falter to see him on the verge of death, not because he is Gai's student, but because he knows two deaths on their team would be Hell for Tenten (and Gai has been her father figure for so long); he closes his eyes and prays for her strength.

**#46 - Sun**

The noon sun bears down high upon them; the air around wavers, taking the outlines of the Suna sand dunes along with it in a lethargic ripple - Tenten swallows for the hundredth time and glances at Neji, finally calling out to him as they race over the harsh terrain, "Do you think there's a source of water nearby - my canteen is almost empty," she adds with a sheepish smile, only to stare in delighted surprise when he hands his over wordlessly (Lee spots the gesture and crows, "Neji, will you share your precious water with me too-" with a pucker of his lips, and Neji pointedly ignores him in disgust).

**#47 - Moon**

It is on a full moon night that Tenten finally loses the precarious grasp she has on her life (as an ANBU special-ops member, one's mortality is the gamble she takes on every mission); but with Neji and Gai gone for years now, and Lee having passed on recently, she sees no reason to keep on living, so Tenten's spirit leaves her body and ascends to the pearly clouds of Heaven; she does not know what to expect, until she wakes up in a familiar room and Team Gai is all around her, youthful as the way they looked in her memories (and Neji- she stares at him and forgets to breathe, doesn't believe that he's finally within reach again).

**#48 - Waves**

Their first conversation is one with all the turbulence of waves crashing on the beach; Neji is arrogant and thinks little of the scrawny girl he needs to suffer being on the team with, while Tenten huffs with indignation at the way he treats Lee so condescendingly and swears that one day, she and Lee are going to make Neji eat his words.

**#49 - Hair**

Three weeks into the formation of Team Gai, Tenten inadvertently blurts, "What shampoo do you use, Neji?", much to the chagrin of the Hyuuga prodigy, who then finds himself noticing the scent of _her_ hair (even when he's supposed to be busy training and improving his skills and allowing nothing to distract him) - Tenten smells of wildflowers, a curious association to someone who is fast developing a taste for accumulating copious amounts of weaponry and wielding them like extensions of her limbs; he surprises himself by yielding his answer to her a week later, and she steps over to him and sniffs at his hair, remarking, "It smells good on you," to which he dismisses, for sheer lack of a response (but he does always look forward to her compliments from then onwards).

**#50 - Supernova**

"Neji," Lee regards his teammate sagely, as he watches the latter glare daggers into the backs of Tenten's would-be suitors, "You'll never capture the heart of our lotus this way-" -and Neji turns and glares at him instead, as if to quell his suggestion- "-but you must know that there is only one way to do it-" -at this point Neji's stare turns skeptical- "-you have to show her that your love is as brilliant as a supernova, and shower her with it with the grace of the shooting stars, and make sure she knows that she is the Sun to your Earth, and- Neji, my eternal rival, don't you want to hear my heavenly advice?!"

**#51 - Walking**

It feels strange to be grappling for her life one moment, and walking in Heaven with Neji the next; Tenten finds herself remembering less of the later years in her life, and focuses instead on the man beside her (they excused themselves the moment she could move her limbs, and Lee and Gai were all too willing to oblige); they spend a long time catching up, Neji brings her to the looking-glass pond and tells her how he's been watching her all along (and she realizes then the reason why she feels his presence sometimes); eventually, he brings her to his own space in Heaven, a simple hut on the grassy edge of his parents' compound, and they reopen the dusty book of him and her, and begin writing their chapters once again.

**#52 - Waltz**

There are many suitors at the ball, and Princess Tenten thanks each of them for his attendance with a dance, though it is only when she returns into the warm arms of Sir Hyuuga Neji that she feels truly comfortable again, and they converse in low tones as they sweep across the ballroom floor _(one, two, three- one, two, three)_; he is nigh filled with respect for her, and she almost resents that he will not test the boundaries of their comradeship - so she steps a little closer to him than is appropriate, reads surprise in his lilac gaze (yet he stares unflinchingly back) and smiles, "Meet me tonight, in my personal library."

**#53 - Wishes**

The past is way behind her, Tenten tells herself as she wakes up, and any wishes she's had in the past are expired and it's too late to grant them; thus, it is with great shock that she turns over in bed and finds one Hyuuga Neji watching her, naked from the chest down; her first instinct is to punch him, her second, to snap, "What are you doing here?"; she goes with the latter, upon which he raises himself up on his elbows and presses his mouth to hers- Tenten's heart stutters, and she swings her fist into his face.

**#54 - Wonder**

"I had no idea that you still sleep in the nude," Neji mumbles, massaging the sore spot on his cheekbone that's going to turn into an ugly bruise he doesn't want to explain; Tenten has grown stronger than he remembers (back when he was in college and she visited him every so often, and they spent night after night exploring pleasures of the flesh); when Tenten deigns to raise her brows in question, he explains, gesturing towards her svelte figure, "Your first instinct when you wake isn't to wonder why you're naked," (he lets his gaze linger on the elegant curve of her breasts, on the swell of her hip, and wonders at her sheer beauty).

**#55 - Worry**

Cobblestone floors are a little too loud for Sir Neji's liking, though he manages to slip into Princess Tenten's personal library with hardly a sound; she is waiting by the fireplace and smiles when he makes his appearance, bidding him turn the lock when he shuts the door behind him (Neji blinks in surprise; his pulse races at the implications of her suggestion, but he does as he is told); he narrows the distance between them with quick strides and kneels before her, as always, and she rests a hand on his shoulder, murmuring, "There is no one but us here, Sir Neji - you need not worry."

**#56 - Whimsy**

"Dance with me," Tenten mutters suddenly, on a whim; Sir Neji glances up at her in surprise, but he does not refuse - he rises to his feet and takes her warm hand in his, just as they did in the ballroom; firelight shines in her hazel eyes, and he doesn't want to admit that he's ensnared by her beauty and wit, so he concentrates on steering them away from the high-backed armchairs and towards the shadowy, book-laden shelves _(one, two, three- one, two three)_, when the Princess stills her feet suddenly and leans up towards him, brushing a soft kiss across his lips.

**#57 - Waste**

Neji is not drunk, and neither is she, which is all the more reason she should push him away, end the deluge of kisses he's flooding her senses with, but it's been so long since she's had this pleasure (all the more heady when she isn't wasted), so she promises herself that she'll give in just this once, savoring the heat of his palm as he cups her bottom and squeezes; they somehow fit into a cab and his mouth is on hers, sharing a breath; then his hand slips between her legs and Tenten stops thinking; all she can do is moan.

**#58 - Whiskey and rum**

Raindrops pelt at them the moment the cab door opens; Tenten follows Neji out and points at the door leading up to her apartment; wet droplets patter over her skin and steal past the low collar of her bartender's uniform (Neji's pale gaze sharpens as he watches the path they take between her breasts, lit by orange streetlamps); she watches hunger write itself all over his face, and feels the ache in her loins deepen with his; Neji pins her to a lamppost and captures her lips again, licking at her teeth and tongue; he tastes like whiskey and rum and she is drunk with need for him.

**#59 - War**

Lord Neji urges his steed over to the fruit stall where the apple girl remains watchful, wariness springing to her eyes when he dismounts and stands before her; he greets her with a slight nod, noting how she is a little shorter than he is, and how she has high cheekbones and fine features for a commoner- Neji kicks himself mentally when he realizes he has been staring too long, and begins, "I am indebted to you for deflecting the dagger, Miss..." "-Tenten-" "-Tenten," he acknowledges with an incline of his head, thinking about the rumors of war spreading along the country borders, and how she would be a great asset alongside him- "Your sharp aim has earned my admiration; will you consider joining me as both my mentor and my guard?"

**#60 - Weddings**

There is a sudden increase in marriages within the shinobi circles after the war has ended and some semblance of normalcy has settled over the lands, when the realization hits that no one is getting any younger, and a next generation is needed to carry the legacy of the dead; Lee accompanies Tenten to several of these weddings, though he tends to refrain from mentioning the gaping hole that Neji has left in Team Gai; the expression on his teammate's countenance is wistful on such occasions, and he knows enough that the Hyuuga's passing has left a far greater impact on the flower of their team; so Lee swears to himself that he will keep on protecting her no matter what, because Neji would have done the same in his stead.


	4. Part 4

_And the fourth part! Hope you guys have been enjoying the ride. ;)_

_Prompts from LJ community 1sentence. Naruto does not belong to me._

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**#61 - Birthday**

"My birthday wish," Lee announces excitedly over lit candles on an impossibly-green cake (surrounded by the other three members of Team Gai in Gai-sensei's living room), "Is for my eternal rival, Neji, to finally confess his feelings to our youthful lotus!" -upon which Tenten flushes and grabs his shoulders to give him a hard shake, and Neji glowers at them both (suffice it to say, Lee does not get his birthday wish granted right then).

**#62 - Blessing**

The awkward birthday wish (that Gai-sensei brushes aside with a cough and a promise of more enlightening lessons for Lee) turns out to be a blessing, when Neji walks Tenten home under the not-quite-subtle encouragement of both Lee _and_ Gai, and Tenten turns to Neji with a sly grin, breaking their silence with, "So, Neji, I hear that you've got feelings for someone?"

**#63 - Bias**

Where feelings are concerned, Neji possesses a strong bias towards Tenten, which is why he does not bear her any ill when she asks the very question that cuts too close to his secret; instead, he glances quickly at her to ascertain that she is, in fact, clueless about what he feels towards her, and shrugs noncommittally, "Lee doesn't know what he was saying."

**#64 - Burning**

"Really?" Tenten bats the question back at him lightly, her heart thumping, because she knows Lee wouldn't make a joke about her and Neji like that, much less spend his birthday wish on it if it weren't real; maybe he should know (yes, she should tell him), maybe they can be truthful around each other if he knows (and if there are bad consequences, she will repair things, damn it), and the words sear across her tongue before she second-guesses herself and changes her mind, "I love you, Neji, if you didn't already know that."

**#65 - Breathing**

He stops breathing, stops walking, the world around him stops spinning; Neji looks sharply at Tenten and finds her staring resolutely at him, her chin lifted in defiance, and he aches to pull her into his arms but dares not (because they are _shinobi_, and emotions will only serve to drag them down), so he remains silent ("Admit it, Neji," she challenges) and blinks, once, twice, finally grating, "You don't know what you're saying either, Tenten."

**#66 - Breaking**

She thinks she hears her heart splintering when Neji turns away and resumes walking; for a moment, Tenten finds herself at a loss for what to do, but she recovers just as quickly, scooping up the pieces of her heart and striding after Neji, pasting a smile on her face (he's not ready for her yet, so she'll keep waiting) and changing the topic easily to one of training (they don't speak of the subject for a long time to come).

**#67 - Belief**

Neji is out on a mission when Lee turns up for training the next day, and Tenten is uncharateristically early, hurling all manners of projectiles at targets spread around the clearing; the situation feels wrong somehow, so Lee approaches his teammate carefully and asks, "How did it go?" -to which Tenten's concentration lapses and her gaze drops to the ground ("Bad, Lee, he didn't believe us," she mumbles); Lee stares in horror, runs over and envelops her in a hug; he is afraid that his actions have wounded her severely, and proclaims, "It is my utmost belief that Neji will realize his mistake, Tenten!"

**#18 - Balloon**

"I've heard that helium does strange things to a person's voice," Tenten muses, scrutinizing the fuchsia balloon floating above her head; when Neji remains staring dubiously between her and the captured helium, she grins, snatching the balloon out of the air, punching a tiny slit along its knotted end with a pocket knife and taking it into her mouth; a deep inhale later, she tests her voice by saying his name, and it comes out as a high-pitched squeak; Neji tries hard to prevent a bark of laughter from escaping his lips, and fails miserably.

**#69 - Balcony**

The balcony adjacent to her study is one of Princess Tenten's favourite places to be - it hangs high in the air, overlooking miles of village and forest and vegetable fields, and when the wind races around her frame, Tenten almost believes she can fly; she savors the view with Sir Neji one breezy afternoon, slipping her eyes shut to better relish the texture of wind on her skin; he stiffens perceptibly when she leans back into his chest ("Princess Tenten," he cautions) but does not move away, and Tenten smiles.

**#70 - Bane**

"You're the bane of my life," Tenten snaps, even as the heat of Neji's gaze down her bare chest kindles an answering warmth in her blood, "Get out of my apartment, Neji, before I-" "-that's not what you said last night-" "-punch you in the face again," she growls, tugging her sheets around her to preserve her remaining shreds of modesty (or maybe Neji will leave if he sees that she's not interested in him any longer, even if she did scream his name last night, for an entirely different reason); she stalks to the bathroom and almost reaches the door when warm arms wrap around her waist from behind, and pull her flush against the man she's sworn to hate the rest of her life.

**#71 - Quiet**

It is deafeningly quiet when Gai and Lee race away from the bamboo forest, leaving a certain Tenten and Hyuuga Neji staring at each other beneath the camouflaging sheet; Tenten is acutely aware of Neji's heart thundering against her chest, of his smooth skin; his lips find hers clumsily, his tongue seeking, and she moans when his length slides against her, urging like the way her body is; he touches a tentative hand to her outer thigh - her breath hitches, and she parts her legs to allow him closer.

**#72 - Quirks**

PrincessPanda is full of quirks, HProdigy realizes, when she tells him about her love for chocolate-dipped fries and her collection of ancient weapon replicas (or how she's got weapon-summoning scrolls that would work, if only she had enough magic!), though she does not spare him the luxury of believing he's normal himself, by pointing out how his lilac eyes make him stand out instantly in a crowd, and "no normal guy has long, straight hair like yours", not in the least how "every guy your age is out dating, while you're hanging out on the internet hacking into computer systems."

**#73 - Question**

There's another query in Neji's eyes, that he repeats in words ("Are you-") when he slides his fingers out of her, his breathing unsteady, and Tenten nods and lifts her hips in response, urging for him, not quite knowing what to expect in this lesson of self-discovery that's giving them just as many answers as questions; she hears the wind rustling through the bamboo leaves, smells their sweat, feels the grass at her back and Neji replacing his fingers with something else entirely- _ohh_.

**#74 - Quarrel**

Tenten wrestles herself out of Neji's embrace, spinning on her heel to get away from him, as far as she can manage- she is almost into her bathroom when he stops the door from closing, his sheer strength prying it back open; she snarls at him, "You have no place in my life, you bastard-" "-will you at least listen to me-" "-no, get the hell out of my place-" "-listen, Tenten, I'm sorry-" "-sorry, my ass-" "-I didn't mean to stop contacting you those years back-" "-right, now you're sorry, after you got tired of the girls in college-" "-that's not what it was, allow me to explain-" "-get _out_, Neji-" "-will you just listen to me for once-" "-the door's on your right-" "-keep this up, Tenten, and you'll lose one of the only people in your life who actually cares about you!"

**#75 - Quitting**

"I quit this love business years ago, Neji, I'm not letting you break my heart again," Tenten mutters, allowing the sheets to pool around her ankles now that she's not looking at the man (cracks are appearing in the wall she's hastily built around her heart and she thinks last night was a mistake, big time); she exerts more force on her bathroom door to drive him back, and stiffens when Neji resumes his plea, "I'm not giving up on you, Tenten."

**#76 - Jump**

The months after his death are by far the most difficult, Neji thinks, when he visits the looking-glass pond in Heaven every day and aches to return to the mortal world, to his friends, not in the least, Tenten, who puts on a brave front (Naruto and Hinata and Lee are doing fine without him) and concentrates on rebuilding the village and being the best that she can be, though when she is home alone at night, her facade falters, and Neji wishes he could leap through the pond to meet her a last time, at least, to tell her that he's waiting for her in Heaven and that he will always be by her side.

**#77 - Jester**

The person who cast this _genjutsu_ has to be some sort of a comedian, Neji thinks, when he and Tenten visit the Hyuuga compounds, and reverent gazes land on Tenten, yet little attention is paid to him, unlike the compound he knows; when they traverse the streets of Konoha, it is Tenten who receives compliments from adoring fans, instead of Neji, and the rented apartment that is Tenten's contains his belongings; he does not think any of this to be funny, though Tenten handles the difference surprisingly well, and he finds himself gaining a new level of respect for her.

**#78 - Jousting**

Lord Neji soon discovers that his new mentor and bodyguard is just as nimble with almost any weapon; impressed with her skill in wielding a bow one day and swords the next, he challenges her to a private contest - they spar with spears, throwing stars, and daggers, and he finds himself hard-pressed not to drop his weapon in favor of using his clan's secret chakra technique; Tenten is showing him where he is lacking in skill (and where she would be a perfect complement to him, with her agility and precision), and Lord Neji realizes that he is becoming more attached to her than he should be.

**#79 - Jewel**

It doesn't take Sir Neji long to discover that Princess Tenten is not easily swayed by diamonds or gems; rather, weapons and sparring are her weaknesses, and she will do practically anything to get her hands on a new weapon she can learn, or some duelling practice when no one is looking (a princess in battle is thought of as ungainly), so Neji yields to her requests, and watches as her innate capacity for weapon-handling glows like a precious, polished stone.

**#80 - Just**

Sir Neji blinks in surprise the moment the princess's mouth leaves his; the kiss is fleeting, thrilling, and her scent lingers in his nostrils, low, floral notes, just enough to tempt his thoughts in the direction she's taken, even if he knows he shouldn't be doing this with her, when his place is so far beneath hers and the law will work against his favor; "Princess-" he begins to murmur, but she silences him with another kiss, a deeper one, her lips parting against his; he meets her tongue in the barest of touches- when a quiet knock sounds on the library door, echoing through the chamber.


	5. Part 5

_My husband and I are headed to Death Valley this weekend! :) Are you guys keeping up with the different storylines in here?_

_Naruto and its characters do not belong to me, as usual, and prompts are all taken from the LiveJournal community, 1sentence._

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**#81 - Smirk**

The unexpected interruption has them jerking apart - Neji consumed with shock, that he has just kissed the _Princess_, and Tenten with a smirk playing across her lips - she bids him to remain where he's standing, and sweeps over to the heavy wooden doors; a quick, murmured conversation ensues, and she is back before him, amusement written across her delicate features; Neji has a moment to wonder what she is thinking, when she leans in close and whispers, "What are your intentions towards me, Sir Neji?"

**#82 - Sorrow**

Tenten slips out of bed exactly one minute after Neji's breathing evens out; gingerly, every tread of her foot adding to the growing weight in her chest, she pulls on her clothes, piece by piece, the memories of his fingers peeling them off precious and razor-sharp all at once; but there is no future for them and she would do well to leave him for good, so he can spread the wings he's always wanted and fly; the door clicks shut behind her, and her heart splinters.

**#83 - Stupidity**

Team Gai's training session is a touch awkward when Neji returns from his mission, and Tenten pairs up with him once again; neither of them mentions the night of Lee's birthday, although Tenten is berating herself for her actions (why oh why did she tell him, what possessed her to tip the scales of their fragile balance that night) and Neji reflects on his lack thereof (rejecting her is possibly the worst decision he's made, when he knows, and she knows, that they'll be good together).

**#84 - Serenade**

It's worked in a movie, Lee claims, so he pesters Neji to sing Tenten an apology; Neji downright refuses (because he can't sing and he wants his pride intact, damn it), and they go back and forth on it for a while ("It's the least you could do for our flower, Neji, Tenten will appreciate everything you do for her," Lee says in earnest, to which he replies, "I'm tone-deaf," and the former gushes about the power of youth); Neji doesn't know any apologetic songs, anyhow, so he decides to do it the only way he knows, and retracts his word that very evening, when he and Tenten are winding down beneath his favorite tree.

**#85 - Sarcasm**

Surprise causes Tenten to do a double-take when Lord Neji makes the request of her, to guard and mentor him (based on one throw of an apple, no less); she is floored by the absurdity of it, that the rumored genius of the Hyuuga clan would want anything to do with her, a mere fruit-seller, so she draws her defences up tight (she's heard of his iciness and cruelty within the clan, even if he doesn't deserve to die) and lashes out at him, "Are you asking me to be your mentor, Lord Neji, because the Hyuuga clan has a shortage of apple-tossing teachers?"

**#86 - Sordid**

Watching Tenten undress in the quiet bamboo forest is a whole new experience for Neji; he isn't aware that he's holding his breath, nor that he's staring (she eases her shirt off, and slowly unwinds her chest bindings), and as the last of the bandages slip from her breasts to reveal rich, luscious curves and dusky nipples, he swallows hard; the activities he wants to tempt her into are anything but moral (she looks up with a tentative smile; he eventually cups her flesh in his palm, and oh, heavens, her nipple is buttery-smooth and he wants her).

**#87 - Soliloquy**

"Maybe I'm losing my mind, Neji, it feels as if you're watching me sometimes - I hope you're doing okay up there, guess you've finally met your parents (they must be proud of you, like how I am)- so you probably know how the latest mission turned out_(laugh)_, we visited Tea Country and Lee fell in love with this girl (she has pink hair, too)- guess it's a nice break after his crush on Sakura, though it was a pain getting him to leave _(sigh)_- I'll bet it would have been easier if you'd been with us on the mission- I still miss you, Neji, even if everyone else seems to have left the past behind and moved on- Save a spot in Heaven for me, won't you?"

**#88 - Sojourn**

It is during a short visit to Wine Country that Tenten fully understands the person Lord Hyuuga Neji is; the liquor served at the inn's little restaurant is more potent than the Lord expects, and she finds herself watching him warily when a faint dusting of red rises across his cheeks; he begins to tell her about his clan, how Ladies Hinata and Hanabi are favored over him because their father is the firstborn son, and Tenten presses him for more answers, fueled by curiosity, until he leans in suddenly, his lips inches from hers, and she finds herself breathless, wanting a taste (there are few consequences to their actions here, when they're in a private booth in a strange country, and no one pays them a second glance).

**#89 - Share**

In a split-second decision, Tenten closes the distance between them, pressing a lingering kiss, her first, to Lord Neji's lips (they are soft and he smells of alcohol), and the contact leaves her wanting more; she pulls sharply away ("You're drunk, Lord Neji," she tells him) and a slow smile creeps across his face; her heart skips; they find themselves entangled on a futon in their shared room soon after (because it's a short trip and only one guard is necessary, Lord Neji had justified), exchanging breaths of air and slow caresses through layers of clothes, and Tenten hopes that Lord Neji will have lost all memory of tonight come dawn.

**#90 - Solitary**

The air is still when Tenten trains by herself on her second morning at the Hyuuga compounds, eager to polish her precision now that she does not have to tend to the fruit stall; she lets fly a handful of long needles and metal stars, and a joyous laugh bubbles from her chest when they hit her targets simultaneously, striking the bull's eye on each; Lord Neji does not make his presence known until a long while later, when he is thoroughly impressed by her skill, and is eager to find out just how well she does in a physical spar.

**#91 - Nowhere**

Tenten wields swords as if she is dancing with them, Lord Neji realizes; her strokes are fluid and connected, and she is almost his match in physical spars, keeping him alert with her speed and agility; she grows on him like no other, with her sparkling hazel eyes, her confidence, and the way she falls into companionable silence with him; it comes as a shock when it occurs to him that he has found a little bit of heaven in her, and, unlike what he's always believed, he had to do little, and go nowhere, to discover it.

**#92 - Neutral**

Beneath the shroud of night, in their rented room, Lord Neji wraps an arm around Tenten's waist and pulls her close; she inhales sharply, pressed against his chest, and scents the too-strong liquor on him; his fingers drag through her hair, freeing thick locks from their buns; her heart beats an unsteady tattoo, and her grip on the neutral front she wears is fast slipping; he dips his chin towards her, and this time, she meets him fearlessly, parting her lips for him; their tongues clash in a heady dance, and Tenten is unable to ignore her body's plea for more.

**#93 - Nuance**

There are subtle changes in Lord Neji's breathing that Tenten does not pick up on at first; the slow draw of air when they kiss turns a touch heavier when he explores her mouth; his inhalations are longer drawn when he peels her guard's clothes off and touches her bare skin (and _her_ breathing quickens when he finds a nipple and takes it into his mouth); she splays her hands across his naked chest and drags them down, and finally notices, when she takes him into her palm, that his breath hitches (he thrusts at her and she stops thinking); though the most critical change that she does miss is the sharp intake of air amidst ragged panting just as she is winding down from a crescendo of pleasure, and Neji whispers, "Tenten?"

**#94 - Near**

It doesn't occur to Tenten how one can be close and yet distant at the same time, until the instant Lord Neji whispers her name and she freezes in shock, praying that she's mistakenly heard his voice (but he's lifting himself away from her and shaking his head, as if he's trying to clear his thoughts); she wishes desperately for a hole in which to hide (the moisture on her skin is turning cold and she wants for his heat), but there is nowhere she can turn, except to stand her ground and admit to the deed; her pride is gone, and all she has are her discarded clothes and a fervent desire to be somewhere far, far away.

**#95 - Natural**

Tenten is breathtakingly beautiful in her most natural state, Lord Neji thinks, despite the gravity of their situation (he wishes he wasn't as drunk, because doing something like that with Tenten is to be savored); her skin is flawless in the moonlight, her body well-proportioned; the vague memory of their most intimate moments is hazy in his mind, yet he has the distinct impression that they fit perfectly together; Neji does not regret his actions (a pang strikes his chest when he wonders if she does), but he reads the hesitation in her eyes, and muses on whether this is the right path for them, after all.

**#96 - Horizon**

In this situation, Lord Neji knows that the most honorable option would be for him to offer Tenten the position of his wife; it is sudden, but not at all a revolting idea, considering how well he gets along with his mentor and bodyguard (her lessons on accuracy have been distracting with the proximity she needs to guide him), not to mention the underlying tension that has been running between them (if anything, having Tenten in his bed every night is an appealing notion, especially if she desires him as much as he does her).

**#97 - Valiant**

"My deepest apologies, Tenten," Neji begins, bowing low to her in the moonlit room, their clothes still strewn about them, "I will accept all responsibility for this matter, and will take you to be my wife if you so wish," to which Tenten merely stares, her mouth agape; it doesn't take long for her to realize that Lord Neji may think she's just using him for his status, so she protests valiantly, "No, I will accept the responsibility on my part - I will not marry you," even if she realizes belatedly that she's in love with him, and a future together might not be such a bad idea, after all.

**#98 - Virtuous**

Tenten's rejection feels every bit virtuous to herself (she's removed his responsibility over the matter, so they can well go their separate ways from here, and no one would be any the wiser), until Lord Neji's brow furrows, and he murmurs, "Am I unattractive to you, Tenten?" and she tries her damnedest not to react to the shiver that slides down her spine, when his gaze coasts over her bare chest, and down to the juncture of her legs (she remembers very well how he felt _there_); she knows the hunger in his gaze, feels herself growing wet in response.

**#99 - Victory**

The hesitance in Tenten's response tells Lord Neji all he needs to know, when she glances at his stirring loins and gulps; she does not protest when he reaches for her chin and presses his mouth to hers; it does not take long for her to yield to his kiss, or for a moan to escape her throat when he licks her tongue and brushes the back of his finger along the curve of her breast; Neji feels the animal within him roar in victory, even as he stokes her hunger with light kisses down her throat, and she reaches for him, her searching fingers betraying her need.

**#100 - Defeat**

Through the haze of lust fogging her mind, Tenten is vaguely aware of her swift defeat (wasn't she turning down Lord Neji's proposal mere moments ago?) though the persistence of his lips is driving her to distraction, and she wants his touch on her, wants his body pressing against her, into her; she parts her legs and guides his hand down, almost insistently, and he smiles against her breast, caressing everywhere but; Tenten whimpers and pleads his name; at length, he yields to her, and she is lost to his touch.


	6. Part 6

_Glad to see that there is a constant flow of readers on this piece.. Few comments left though! ;)_

_Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. Prompts are from the LJ community 1sentence._

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**#101 - Ring**

"This belonged to my grandfather before he passed on," Princess Tenten murmurs; she takes Sir Neji's hand and presses a thick gold band into his palm, and he stares at the dragon head affixed to one side of it; stunned, he looks up at her in question, but she hushes his unspoken question with her hands closing his fingers around the ring; "I want you to have it, as a symbol of my faith in you," and a thousand other things she does not voice, such as her concern for him, and how much she wants him to be a permanent part of her life.

**#102 - Hero**

"You are, for the lack of a better term, my savior," Lord Neji tells Tenten in an undertone, a number of curious villagers having gathered around them in the aftermath of the foiled dagger attack, "I have never seen precision such as yours, hence my request: impart your skills upon me and serve as my second pair of eyes, and I shall provide you with food and boarding," he pauses for her to weigh his offer, and Tenten counters, "I require an allowance of five hundred yen a month," to which Neji nods and acquiesces, "Deal."

**#103 - Memory**

There is something familiar about Tenten that Lord Neji can't quite place; he watches her from the corner of his eye as she surveys the Hyuuga compound, and thinks he's seen her fine-featured profile somewhere before - maybe it's the twin buns on her head, or maybe it's the sharp point of her nose, or the confidence in her eyes - but nothing comes up as he trawls deep into his memories, so he resigns himself to wait for when the particular recollection he's seeking finally surfaces.

**#104 - Box**

"A box just arrived in the mail," HProdigy's chat window pings on PrincessPanda's screen, "Addressed to me," and a huge grin erupts on Tenten's face when she sees his message, anticipation coiling in her belly - "Who is it from?" she asks innocently, only to have him reply, "No idea," and the subsequent minutes are almost too painful to sit through, knowing what exactly Neji is finding in his package (first multiple layers of bubblewrap, then another box, and styrofoam, and then the self-encrypting hard drive that he's been talking about for days) - "Tenten!" he pings her moments later, his excitement apparent in the way his lines fly onto her screen, "Did you send this?"

**#105 - Run**

There is bad weather all over the news, and Tenten hardly pays it any mind (there's been a lot of it going on recently in the country), until the meteorologist raises a red flag warning for severe winds in her area, and she raises a skeptical eyebrow (there's never been bad weather, not here); her neighbors are starting to evacuate, yet she is confident in the structure of her trusty cabin - Tenten drops HProdigy a message anyway, that she's staying put, and smiles when he tells her, "I'll drop by your place tomorrow, just in case."

**#106 - Hurricane**

The winds are picking up when Tenten realizes a little too late that the meteorologist was right, and she scurries around the house, collecting her prized possessions, loading her secondhand car with them; her heart is pounding in her throat at every loud creak the wood structure makes, even as the wind whips hair out of her buns (she should be out of this place hours before now and she's only just hopping into her car); the vehicle makes a clicking noise barely audible above the wind and the engine does not start - she turns the ignition again, and again, curses, and sees the growing cone connecting land to sky in the distance; the squeal of tires scream from behind, and it is with great relief that she spies Neji striding towards her.

**#107 - Wings**

"My battery's dead," she yells at him over the wind by way of greeting, and HProdigy nods, his jaw grimly set (entire trees are swaying and it is getting increasingly harder to walk straight); with haste, they transfer the small bags of belongings from her back seat into his Jeep (its high clearance perfect for avoiding debris), slam the doors, and Neji floors the gas pedal, taking them away from her cottage so quickly it feels as if they are flying through the deserted streets, buffeted on all sides by the howling gale.

**#108 - Cold**

The sight of oncoming destruction leaves Tenten chilled; she glances through the rear window of HProdigy's Jeep time and again, relieved that she's safe with him, yet at the same time, the possibility of the hurricane catching up with them, or destroying her home, weighs heavy on her chest; Neji glances at her suddenly and raises his voice over the wind, "You'll be fine, Tenten," and she manages a tiny smile at him, that he misses when a large piece of debris rolls across the road in front of them, and he steers sharply to the side to avoid a collision.

**#109 - Red**

They drive for a long time - two hours - until the hurricane has disappeared across the horizon, and Tenten thinks to ask, "Where are we going?" because she has just remembered that HProdigy lives fifteen miles away from her, and they are nowhere close to home; "The red flag warning is still in place," he tells her, and she realizes that he isn't able to go home, either- "We're going to one of my family's summer homes in the mountains," Neji explains, adding when he glimpses her surprise, "The one I'm heading to is unoccupied, so we won't be meeting them."

**#110 - Drink**

"I, um, thank you," Tenten mutters, accepting a can of soda from Neji as she looks around the mansion-esque house; there is a lot to drink in, from the tall privacy pines in the front yard to the large French windows surrounding the living room, and the ornate coffee table with plush armchairs cornering it (it is not sleek like what she expects a Hyuuga-owned property to be, but this house is homely, and she takes comfort in that); "I hope you'll find it comfortable here," Neji murmurs in return, and when she turns to face him again, he is close, so close to her that she can feel his breath on his lips, and she forgets to breathe.

**#111 - Midnight**

PrincessPanda remains frozen before HProdigy, stunned by his proximity, yet at the same time, she is enticed by his heat and scent (he smells faintly of musk, that she failed to notice during their escape from the twister); she isn't quite sure what she should do, her heart is pounding- Neji steps away suddenly, turning and heading into a doorway to the side, and Tenten is left staring, bewildered, as if the clock has struck midnight and the carriage and footmen have returned to being a pumpkin and mice.

**#112 - Temptation**

Neji pauses in the sanctuary of the kitchen, drawing deep inhalations to calm his thoughts; PrincessPanda is as lovely and innocent as ever and he most certainly did not bring her to his family's summer home to betray her trust (yet he wonders about the texture of her lips, and what she tastes like) - she is temptation personified, designed in such a way as to intrigue him with her intelligence and warmth, and he has never met anyone like that before; he would do well to keep his distance from her, and the notion makes the prospect of their stay an uncomfortably long one, indeed.

**#113 - View**

"Did you leave that self-encrypting hard drive behind?" Tenten asks, when she is able to bring herself to face Neji again (the days of him being HProdigy and her as PrincessPanda are still fresh as ever in her mind, and sometimes she thinks of him as HProdigy instead of Hyuuga Neji); they are standing in the back porch of the summer home, facing the quiet fields and forests on the land (a markedly different scenery from the suburbs she's been living in) and the can of soda is stealing heat steadily from her fingers; Neji slides a glance in her direction and inclines his head, "It's in the Jeep, with the rest of the things you've given me."

**#114 - Music**

Tenten finds a disused radio in the house and manages to coax it into crooning tunes from the country music station - Neji raises his brows in question ("Country?" he inquires), so she shrugs in response, lighting up when a familiar tune comes on (Neji smirks when she starts to sing along, and seats himself in the adjacent couch to listen); after all, there is plenty time to kill, and who better to do it with than the girl who's become one of his closest friends?

**#115 - Silk**

"The sheets are so smooth!" Tenten exclaims, flopping back onto the guestroom bed; Neji watches her from the doorway and wonders about her hair, twin buns that are coming undone against the bedspread (she'd tidied them earlier in the afternoon, after they arrived); curious, he steps into the room and makes his way to the bed ("You think so?" he ventures), reaching out to touch her hair, on the pretext of testing the sheets (and her chocolate tresses are silkier than he imagined); Tenten notices, however, with her sharp gaze, and he pulls back, cautious; she pushes herself up on the bed and levels a look at him, "Neji?"

**#116 - Cover**

"I thought I saw something in your hair," Neji mutters, looking away from Tenten (he hasn't had to cover up mistakes often, and it feels wrong lying to her, of all people) - her hazel eyes glint suddenly with amusement; she leans in and remarks, slyly, "That must be one of the worst pickup lines ever, Neji," -he stares at her, unsure what to make of her jest; Tenten grins at his response and offers, "Would you like me to show you how it's done?"

**#117 - Promise**

Words have left him bereft; Neji stares at Tenten mutely, a faint blush rising to his cheeks - his heart thumps a solid Yes and his mind a logical No, because he doesn't want to jeopardize their friendship (HProdigy can't lose PandaPrincess like that, not when they've been friends for far too long); at his indecision, Tenten gets to her feet, takes a deep breath, as if to muster her courage, and closes the distance between them, reaching up to thread fingers in his hair, bringing his face close to hers; his heart misses a beat at the intensity of her gaze, the raw emotion that promises more to what she feels for him, and she murmurs huskily, "I like your hair, Neji."

**#118 - Dream**

Tenten holds her gaze into Neji's lilac eyes for as long as she is able, leaning in so close there's a hair's breadth between their lips (it feels like she's in a dream and her heart is pounding loud and clear), and she sees the flecks of deep purple in his pale irises and wonders at their beauty; she is so, so tempted to press her mouth just that increment closer and finally taste him, but she holds her position for two seconds longer and draws away, breaking the spell, "Well, how's that for a pickup line-" -and Neji slips an arm around her waist before she is able to step back; their lips mesh together; he steals her breath and Tenten thinks she has to be dreaming.

**#119 - Candle**

Her imagined fantasies hold nary a candle to the way Neji's lips are moist against hers; his breath soughs over her cheek and his fingers are brushing lightly over her back; Tenten wavers on her feet, spellbound (stoic, guarded Neji feels the same way she does?); heat flickers in her middle when he licks at her lips, clumsily, but she feels his desire and her body responds to it; her lips part for him; he accepts her invitation and ventures into her mouth, and the fire within her flares.

**#120 - Talent**

Neji's talents do not lie within mere codes and computers, Tenten realizes, when he trails kisses down her jaw and licks along the shell of her ear (a moan escapes her throat, unbidden) and shivers race across her skin; a little voice whispers at the edge of her mind that they shouldn't be doing this, that she shouldn't get involved with Neji; he has her heart but there's no way he can know that - she whispers his name (he licks just beneath her ear), and again, louder this time, finally jerking away from him when he displays no intention of stopping; they are both breathing hard when Tenten meets his pale eyes, and she hates that her voice and mental faculties have both eluded her.


	7. Part 7

_I'm surprised to see that there aren't more NejiTen reaction fics popping up from 678... There has been a number of ShikaTema ones already. :o_

_Naruto and its characters do not belong to me, as usual. Prompts from LiveJournal community, 1Sentence._

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**#121 - Silence**

The silence that stretches between HProdigy and Tenten feels like a yawning chasm; her lips are moist from the kiss, her heart is thudding, and she doesn't know what to say (they can't deny the attraction between them now) - Neji stares at her, his expression unreadable, so she finally manages, in a small voice, "Where do we go from here?"

**#122 - Journey**

Their paths have brought them together in the most unexpected of ways, Neji thinks slowly, faced with Tenten's uncertain gaze and her rosy lips, glistening from their shared intimacy; never would he have seen himself making friends with a stranger in a chatroom, much less meeting her in person a number of times, becoming a close friend of hers, picking her up during a tornado and bringing her to his family's summer home, only to discover how intoxicating her lips are, and inexplicably finding himself keen on continuing their suddenly-intimate friendship; he is acutely aware of her attention, and eventually responds, "Our only option is to go forward - you are at will to decide which direction 'forward' will be, Tenten."

**#123 - Fire**

The roaring flame of the village bonfire sparks a distinct feeling of déjà vu in Lord Neji; he blinks and stares hard at the licking flames, willing them to trigger a memory, but they do not (and Tenten is waiting for him atop her mare, her quiver full and her cheeks rosy in the winter chill); at length, he pulls away from the crackling heat, riding alongside Tenten towards home, with the most curious notion that Tenten has been with him in front of a towering fire, even though this is the first one they've witnessed together.

**#124 - Strength**

There is a quiet strength in Tenten's calloused fingers that Lord Neji notices, when she corrects his posture and adjusts his grip on a throwing knife - her hazel eyes are focused and she is all business, glancing between him and the target and studying his position from all angles ("Relax the muscles in your elbow and wrist: you don't need as much force in throwing a weapon - it all lies in the flick of your wrist," she instructs); she brings her body close to his and runs through the motions with him ("Lean back against me - feel the flow of my movements.") and her thighs are touching his, her chest flat against his back; she draws his hand with hers and demonstrates a throw, her warm breath puffing against his shoulder - and the knife hits her target dead center; Lord Neji is floored by the level of her mastery.

**#125 - Mask**

It is just not fair that Neji is able to slip a mask on and train with her as if she hasn't just confessed to him days ago, Tenten grouses to herself, firing volley after volley of weapons at the Hyuuga prodigy; Lee has been insisting that Neji will change his mind, but she knows him, and thinks this will be all there is to their partnership (she should even be glad that they are still communicating, at all); she grits her teeth, sending yet another barrage of metal into Neji's _kaiten_.

**#126 - Ice**

"Tenten," Neji begins, quietly, his tone so low that she almost misses it, "About the other night, at Gai's," and Tenten freezes, the awkwardness between them increasing tenfold, "Did you mean what you said, about you- that is, your feelings-" -he glances quickly at her, almost nervously, and she has a moment to wonder at how he's lost his composure (a dusting of crimson has stolen over his cheeks and she doesn't think she's seen Neji quite this discomfited, his coolness all but evaporated); she meets his gaze steadily and refuses to give in to the urge to flee, "And if I did?"

**#127 - Fall**

"Lee was speaking the truth," Neji admits, his pale gaze anchored to her (she's so shocked that everything else ceases to exist outside the canopy of his favorite tree); he does not move towards her, however, and remains standing where he is, "You should know how I feel about you, Tenten," and that is the furthest Neji will go with his confession; love is a slippery slope and they are trying their hardest not to tumble down, though it seems as if they are slowly losing their grip on the harsh truths the longer they hang on.

**#128 - Forgotten**

Tenten watches Neji warily, sceptical now that she's been hurt once ("I don't know how you feel, Neji, you claimed I didn't know what I was saying," she accuses slowly), and regret fleets over his countenance, so swift she might've imagined it; he takes a tentative step towards her, his gaze searching ("I haven't forgotten," he allows), and she wants to touch him, hold his hand, stroke his cheek, but she doesn't.

**#129 - Dance**

"Good morning, my green leaves and flower," Gai all but shouts, charging into the team's training grounds with all the force of an angry bull; Tenten and Neji barely flinch at his entrance, and Lee stops his training to dash over for an embrace - "Have you revised what I taught you about the dance of intimacy, my dear students?" the Green Beast of Konoha booms (Tenten is glad that they are far from even the outskirts of the village, lest anyone they know happens to be within earshot); Lee begins to recite the steps of courtship, and Neji looks away and pretends he hasn't just heard their _sensei_'s prying question.

**#130 - Body**

Tenten stares awkwardly at Gai, certain that he is not kidding about an update; Lee proudly ends his rambling recount about library books (Gai gives him a brilliant thumbs up), and she flinches when his expectant gaze lands on her and Neji (they've been conducting their own lessons and she is in no way inclined to share just how well her body has been acquainted with Neji's; Tenten flushes and stammers (because their _sensei_ would have a fit if he finds out how they've taken their education to the next level) but all she can think about is the way Neji moans beneath her, and the magic he spins with his mouth and fingers, and-

**#131 - Sacred**

"To some people, sex is cherished," Neji begins, breaking into Tenten's thoughts (she is mighty glad that he is not looking at her right in front of Gai, because she would dissolve with embarrassment if Gai learns about them), but the rich baritone of his voice distracts her from his words, when she remembers her name falling from his lips _(he worships her swollen flesh with steady strokes of his tongue and watches her for her reaction, his mouth glistening with wetness)_; Tenten gulps and tries hard not to relate everything Neji says to their explorations in the bedroom, and falls utterly short of her goal.

**#132 - Farewell**

"Sometimes I wish he'd said goodbye to us before he- you know," Tenten mumbles, nursing a bowl of sake; Lee agrees gloomily and downs a mouthful of tea, his stare unfocused (times like these, he doesn't know if Tenten's talking to herself or to him, but he supposes it doesn't really matter); "I'm sure he and Gai-sensei are watching over us," he replies, and the deep conviction in his chest tells him he's right, though nothing he's ever said has helped to fill the gaping holes left in their team.

**#133 - World**

"So, Neji, we meet again," Gai's voice rings aloud behind him, and Neji draws away from the looking-glass pond where he's been watching Tenten sleep; Heaven is not a place for secrets, so he doesn't try to dispel his portal to the mortal world when his_sensei_ strides over and claps him on the back ("Gai," he acknowledges); "Good work on saving Hinata and Naruto," the Green Beast praises, and Neji is glad to see his mentor whole and healthy; it doesn't take long for the older man to notice his portal in the pond, and his scrutiny turns knowing; "Watching over the world, Neji?" Gai remarks, almost offhandedly, and Neji realizes that Gai has always known about his feelings for Tenten.

**#134 - Formal**

"Good morning, PrincessPanda-" "Good morning, HProdigy-" "How are you this fine day, Your Highness-" "It's going well, I'm about to head to work in a bit-" "Very well, Princess-" "Very funny, Neji, you may dispense with the formalities-" "You are known through the World Wide Web as PrincessPanda; perhaps it is a reflection of reality?" "I had no idea you possess a sense of humor, Mr Prodigy-" "Consider yourself educated, Princess."

**#135 - Fever**

"Awkward" is the understatement of the century when Lee is down with a fever and Gai shows up on the training grounds regardless, and announces, "Today, we will see how far you've come with your training in the intimate dance of youth!" and Tenten chokes on her saliva (not again, she thinks), squawking indignantly (Gai has said nothing about practice and which _sensei_teaches his students to have sex, anyway?); Gai levels a confident look at them and continues, "You have been practicing with Neji, haven't you, Tenten?" and she gapes at him, astounded, her face burning so hot that she's tempted to feint a feverish collapse.

**#136 - Laugh**

Tenten tries to laugh her _sensei_'s proposition off, waving weakly ("Neji and I, doing things like that, really?" she protests); her lips are frozen in a forced grin and she is well aware of Neji's icy stare (though whether he's annoyed at Gai or her, she isn't sure); Gai is not to be deterred, however - he beams brightly at them, "There have been rumors starting to drift around Konoha-" -Tenten stares at him in mortification (but she and Neji have taken great pains to conceal their movements) "-That a youthful couple was spotted doing the intimate dance in our forests," he finishes, and Tenten glances at Neji, recollections of that one time searing vivid in her mind - and Gai adds slyly, "Not that you might know who these people are, do you, Tenten, Neji?"

**#137 - Lies**

"I have no business tarnishing the Hyuuga reputation," Neji finally speaks, drawing the attention of both Tenten and Gai, "Tenten and I have been doing no such thing - you are mistaken, Gai-" his face a mask of perfect calm, Neji turns away, effectively ending the conversation, "I would like to refine my new _jutsu_today, Tenten-" and she follows close behind him, though not before bowing a quick apology to their mentor (she thinks it ironic that Neji is the one to string the web of lies, much later, when they are lying in her bed with a sheen of sweat on their bodies.)

**#138 - Forever**

"Do you believe in forever?" Tenten asks; they are sprawled on their backs under the shade of Neji's favorite tree, strain ebbing from their muscles after a day of intense sparring; the threats of the Akatsuki and war have been lurking on the edges of the village, and their consciousness, and the calm that pervades the village is deceptive, if only to stem their nerves; Neji looks over at her, lilac eyes penetrating, as always, and she wishes they could relax this way for a long time to come - just him and her, and the protective canopy of trees above them.

**#139 - Overwhelmed**

"Forever is a myth," Neji replies (his gaze is intent and it sends a little shiver down her spine); "If we had forever, nothing will be cherished today," he explains, and she stares at him, humbled; "Is there anything you cherish?" the question slips from her tongue before she thinks to curtail it, though Tenten is certain she knows his answer (but what she doesn't expect is the way Neji rolls onto his side, reaches out, and touches her lips with his fingertips; her mind spins at the contact.)

**#140 - Whisper**

"There is," he murmurs, so softly Tenten strains to hear him; her breath is coming in short puffs and she doesn't dare move, lest he withdraws his touch; Neji trails his fingers to her jaw, caressing her cheek, and his next words sends her reeling further yet, "If I did have forever, I would choose to spend it with you," and Tenten merely stares at him, uncertain of what she can possibly say in this moment, because the war is approaching, and she can only hope that Team Gai makes it out alive.


	8. Part 8

_And here is part 8, a day or two early.. My husband and I are planning on going out to the desert again. ;) I foresee myself trimming off the weaker storylines sometime in the future (ie they won't appear as often anymore), so do tell if there is a particular story in here that you want to know more about!_

_As usual, Naruto doesn't belong to me, and prompts are from LJ community 1sentence (I'm almost through writing with all their prompts!)_

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**#141 - Wait**

"I'll be out here until you're willing to talk, Tenten," Neji cedes, releasing the bathroom door; he steps back, searches for his discarded clothes and pulls them back on (a quick glance at the digital clock and- damnit, he's going to be late into the office at this rate); Tenten's perfume still lingers on his suit, teasing snippets of images from the night before, and Neji seats himself on the armrest of a couch in a bid to keep himself from pacing - what is a few minutes compared to the years he's been without her?

**#142 - Talk**

It takes Tenten long moments to decide that being involved with Neji is the one thing she isn't willing to sample again; they can be friends, perhaps, and maybe eventually return to the camaraderie of their school days (Lee would certainly be happy with all three of them hanging out together once more), but there is no way she's letting Neji break her heart a second time; she drags her feet over the hurdle of hesitation, and finally pulls the door open, meeting Neji's lilac eyes, "I'm ready."

**#143 - Search**

"I've been looking for her, Lee," Neji leans back into his seat, gin burning down his throat, "How is she now?" and Lee watches him solemnly, sipping from his own glass of Sprite, "Tenten's doing fine - your actions hurt her, Neji," and the lawyer dips his head in acknowledgement, "I'm aware of that," but shame and guilt rise like bile in his throat all the same, and it is with a touch of difficulty that he admits, "I would like to repair what I've done - will you tell me where she is?"

**#144 - Hope**

"The furthest you and I are going to get is plain, platonic friendship," Tenten tells him, scowling when his gaze slips over her bare skin, "And I'm doing this for Lee's sake," she adds, yanking a shirt over her head (he loves the way her chocolate tresses cascade messily over her shoulders, but Tenten hates that about her hair); Neji feels a pang in his gut when she makes her ultimatum ("Try to get any closer than that, and I'll cut you off, I swear," she threatens) but he knows that this is the first step in the right direction, and the first of many mistakes that need to be fixed.

**#145 - Eclipse**

She is panting, moaning, squirming beneath him and the whole point to Gai-_sensei_'s lessons on intimacy is overshadowed when Tenten's body envelops him completely, and Neji is unable to think - he can only feel, and Tenten feels like Heaven with her heat and moisture; he presses further in and a little noise escapes her throat - her eyes slip shut and she tips her head back, enjoyment scrawled across her features; his name escapes her throat in a soft plea; her beauty is breathtaking and Neji is certain that this moment in time is forever etched into his memory.

**#146 - Gravity**

Tenten allows gravity to pull her back down, onto Neji's lap, and he draws a sharp breath; she grins, full of him, rising back up to press a dusky crest against his lips (a wet flick of his tongue, followed by a puff of air, and she gasps, her nipple growing turgid in response); Neji succumbs to impatience and guides her back down against him, so they fit snugly like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle (and he lowers her onto the bough when she shows no sign of ending the tease, and samples her flesh deeply, over and over).

**#147 - Highway** _(my way or the highway)_

Neji gets to his feet, checks the clock again (he really is late for work now), and pauses by Tenten on his beeline for the door; she watches him warily and he refrains from touching her; they exchange a tense look (he wonders how long it'll take to win her heart) and if it isn't for her ultimatum, he would have kissed her - instead, he holds the scant distance between them, and resolves to be the victor in this game of chess Tenten has created.

**#148 - Unknown**

Tenten is typically unafraid of the unknown, but this new Neji, the one dressed in a lawyer's suit, is not quite the one from the childhood she shared with Lee, and not exactly the law student she'd drifted away from, either - thus, she is wary, and uncertain what to expect when he suggests they start as friends again, only knowing for a fact that any relationship between them must remain platonic, if so her heart can be protected from being broken once again.

**#149 - Lock**

Neji steps out of Tenten's apartment and hears the door click shut behind him, the key turning in the lock; it is strangely reminiscent of the way she is resolutely restricting her relationship with him - perhaps meeting her and Lee at the same time will present him a chance to rewrite their story (and perhaps Tenten needs a little reminder that their estranged past is, in a small part, her doing, too).

**#150 - Breathe**

They gasp and pant and ride the building crest of anticipation, and when the wave of sensation crashes over them in that quiet bamboo forest, Tenten forgets to breathe (she arches and tenses around hard flesh), and Neji exhales sharply, spilling into her; the force of climax is humbling - they exchange an amazed stare afterwards, pull their clothes back on, and wonder why Gai-sensei didn't come up with his ridiculous lessons sooner.

**#151 - Air**

It is a hot summer day and the air is still, humid; Gai lands lightly on the branch of a tall tree and surveys the building before him (Tenten's apartment is the one on the highest floor, four down from the stairway) - he has a mission today and it is to ascertain that Tenten has not been misusing the information from his recent lessons on youthful intimacy (the flower's reactions to his questions were unnaturally suspicious earlier that morning).

No unusual sounds carry across to his vantage point, so Gai leaps over to the roof of the building and concentrates on the chakra signatures in the apartment below - there are little noises now, moans, and the chakra next to hers is very familiar indeed - Neji?

There is a sudden explosion above and a hole opens in her ceiling with a crash - Tenten jolts upright from where Neji has been weaving magic at her hips and grabs the handful of _kunai_ beside her bed; they are on their feet in moments, Neji with his Byakugan activated and Tenten pulling open a compact weapons scroll she's stashed by her pillow, when Neji blurts, "Gai?"

**#152 - Apples**

Tenten has all of seconds to yank sheets over herself while the dust settles; their _sensei_ emerges from the wreck, a menacing silhouette ("What are you doing to our flower, Neji?" he seethes) and Tenten doesn't know whether she is more astounded by the gaping new skylight in her room, or how Gai has mistaken apples for oranges (and she cringes at the prospect of ironing this out).

"What are you doing here, Gai-_sensei_?" Tenten strives to keep her tone level (but it's not easy when she is clutching sheets over her chest), wincing when the Green Beast angles a Look at her and steps towards Neji anyway (Neji, who is deliciously naked but this is not the time for thoughts of that nature).

**#153 - Beginning**

"We are in a relationship," the Hyuuga tells their _sensei_, and Tenten glances at him in surprise (they haven't broached this subject, not yet), though his explanation seems to float over Gai, whose drawn brows do not bode well for either of them; Gai opens his mouth accusingly - and she snaps at the tension between all of them, ordering Gai out of the room (through her door this time), so she and Neji can get dressed and start the conversation afresh.

**#154 - Bugs**  
Gai is pacing in the living room when Tenten and Neji emerge, respectably dressed; he spins on his heels and arrows a stern look at the Hyuuga, then Tenten, and she has the grace to blush, now that there is only one direction for their conversation to head; "Tenten, I am ashamed at your actions," Gai begins, "The intimate dance is not to be performed without care," and Neji interrupts him in annoyance, "We are able to make our own decisions, Gai," to which the Green Beast rounds upon him, his eyes narrowed, "How dare you take advantage of our Tenten, Neji?"

**#155 - Coffee**  
"This a consensual agreement," Neji bites (Tenten is especially aware of his temper when they are interrupted in the midst of something good), "And none of your damn business," his words furrowing their mentor's brow; he glances at Tenten, heat in his lilac gaze reaching into the tips of her appendages like a strong brew in the morning (she gulps and dispels the momentary distraction) and straightens her shoulders to face Gai, "I am in this of my own free will, Gai-_sensei_."

**#156 - Dark**  
It is a long while before Gai leaves Tenten's apartment, and they wind up on the couch in the darkness, Tenten with her head on Neji's shoulder, absently trailing her fingers over his chest, and his thigh ("What you said earlier, about a relationship," she begins uncertainly, and feels his eyes intent on her; "What are we allowed to have?" he asks in return); when they do not come to a definite conclusion, she sighs, and presses her lips to his neck, because intimacy is always a solution when answers elude them.

**#157 - Despair**  
The knot of desperation in Tenten's chest melts away like the ebb of a wave, when the moon turns its ringed eye on the world, and all are cast into an illusion; in Tenten's perfect world, she opens her eyes to find Konoha intact and bustling, and Neji strides up to her, calm and very much alive - he is there beside her when Lee and Gai round the corner, their green jumpsuits replaced with casual attire (oh thank Heavens), and she thinks that this is the happiest she's ever been.

**#158 - Doors**  
Nothing can go wrong in a perfect world, of course, though Tenten is wary (because when do things go the way she wants them to?) when she steps up to Neji, wraps her arms around his shoulders and buries her face in his shirt (damn, has she missed his scent); he smells of soap and pine, and she feels his hard body against hers, comforting in every way; he pulls her into his embrace, strong arms gentle around her; his lips brush her ear, and Tenten wonders if this opens the doors to something more between then.

**#159 - Drink**  
They are lounging under Neji's favorite tree and sharing a bottle of _sake_, in this world that seems too good to be true, and Tenten reaches over for his hand - Neji is the one to lean in and touch her lips with his, unlike before, where she would have to initiate all contact; "You are intoxicating," he murmurs, deepens the kiss, and she wishes that this will never end.

**#160 - Duty**  
They stumble to her apartment that night, tipsy (the moon is strangely covered in concentric circles), and when the dawn sunlight warms their entangled limbs, they rouse from slumber, skin on skin; Neji responds when she rolls on top of him and kisses him hard, and they know it's not quite because of duty that he whispers, "Be my wife, Tenten."

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_Again, do leave a note if you would to see particular storylines in Postcards being continued! :)_


	9. Part 9

_Back with another update, woohoo!_

_I received a wonderful review on my previous update and would really love to thank the anonymous person who left it - it made my day! :)  
_

_As usual, Naruto and its characters don't belong to me, and the prompts are from LiveJournal community 1sentence._

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**#161 - Earth**

The announcement that Princess Tenten makes, that she will be wedding Sir Hyuuga Neji, is one that meets with an earth-shattering response; the council is furious that she is not forging a union with their neighboring kingdoms, the court is atwitter with gossip, and the knights round upon Sir Neji and demand to know what exactly it was that he did, to gain such favor from the Princess (Sir Uchiha has taken to regarding him with a cool glance, and Sir Inuzuka makes repeated attempts to unearth his secret); though only the informed few in the castle, like the physician, and Sirs Gai and Lee, have made the connection between the Princess's hushed pregnancy and her imminent betrothal.

**#162 - End**

"This has to come to a halt, Neji," the Princess murmurs one night, curled up under the covers with her guard, all formalities dispensed, "I can't hide that I'm with child for much longer," and Neji grunts an acknowledgement, their hands linked over her belly; "What have you decided to do?" he asks, hesitantly, because the council has been pushing for a royal marriage to expand their territories, and he hates that he is powerless to deal with matters of politics; Sir Neji hears the smile in her voice, even before she turns to look at him, "You are of prestigious blood, Sir Neji, surely the kingdom would see the value in a matrimonial union between us."

**#163 - Fall**

The descent from grace that Sir Neji half-expects will befall him does not quite materialize; the knights look upon him with envy, and the council is slowly being won over by the idea of renowned warrior blood in royal lineage; Sir Uchiha does hit the nail on the head ("You've been having trysts with her, haven't you, Hyuuga?") but Neji neither acknowledges or denies the claim, choosing instead to maintain his distance with the Princess in the public eye (though he does return to her bed every other night, where the prospect of the Princess as his wife fills him with a sense of belonging as he's never had before.

**#164 - Fire**

The flame of anticipation burns a little brighter when Tenten invites Neji into her apartment, and they skirt around the idea of a second lesson of exploration (the first has left them humbled, and the next can only be better); not quite knowing how to broach the topic (even if she sees it in his eyes), Tenten fiddles with her shirt and turns her back to him ("I, um, knotted my chest bindings on too tightly today and can't undo them - could you help me with them, since you're here?"); one thing leads to another, and Neji's lips are on her shoulder, her bindings falling loose over his fingers; he cups her soft flesh in his palms, teases the dusky crests into hard pebbles, and it is as if they are back in the bamboo forest, where touch is the only language they speak.

**#165 - Flexible**

It is his seventh birthday, and little Lord Neji follows his father through the marketplace, pale gaze taking in all there is to be seen in the bustle of activity - they are recognized by a number of villagers for their eyes, though he pays them no mind, and is instead intrigued by the colorful tent set up to the side of the bazaar; there are animals in cages there, and a gaggle of children playing Chase, though one girl in particular catches his notice - she is bent backwards and walking on her hands and feet, her face flushed in that position, strands of hair straying from twin buns (he thinks it's a silly thing to do, but admires the litheness of her body anyway).

**#166 - Flying**

They visit the circus later that night, as the little Lord's birthday treat, and Neji is wide-eyed in amazement at the dogs that balance on balls, and tigers that jump through loops of fire; the front-row seat brings him so close to elephants and bears that he thinks he would be able to touch them, if not for his father's warning look; then the acrobats begin to perform, and he sees the same little girl from before, her hair in neat buns now, wearing a sparkling blue costume and flying through the air - there is a huge grin on her face, and he wonders if it's really possible for one to feel that much happiness from any single thing.

**#167 - Food**

There is a distinct similarity between eating and having sex, Neji realizes, in the dimness of Tenten's apartment, as he pulls her nipple into his mouth (she moans and arches towards him), and then later, when their lips mesh and her tongue is sliding wetly along his, sampling, and later yet, when he finds himself between her legs, sucking lightly on her swollen flesh, and pressing into her with his tongue (she cries out and grabs his head); she sidles onto her knees and takes him into her mouth (a groan tears from his throat and he can barely think) - and this might be the best form of eating, after all.

**#168 - Foot**

"So, what's it like being _the_ Hyuuga Neji?" Tenten asks HProdigy during their second lunchtime rendezvous, over yet another mountain of fries (he wisely chooses to have a Fillet-O-Fish instead); Neji stares blankly at her, lifting an eyebrow, and Tenten flushes _(foot in mouth, PrincessPanda, way to go!)_, sheepishly diverting the topic back to the Mayans, and the ancient myths of their people; she does notice the way Neji regards her through the meeting, however, and doesn't know quite what to think of it, so she offers him chocolate-dipped fries yet again (and he turns her down again, too).

**#169 - Grave**

They invest in webcams at some point, the images of their faces in real-time adding another dimension to their typed conversations; HProdigy is not watching PrincessPanda always, however (he does have codes to crack and databases to access), so she takes liberties with his lapses in attention and changes out of her work clothes while in front of the computer (conveniently situated in her bedroom); he does catch a glimpse of her in a matching set of black lace lingerie one day and stares (and wonders how many other times he's missed out on such a display); his parents and elders would be turning in their graves, if they knew how their prodigal heir was ogling a woman through a digital window into her room.

**#170 - Green**

HProdigy does not mention the webcam incident, though he does check back on PrincessPanda at more regular intervals between coding; on most occasions, Tenten is dressed, on the computer or moving around elsewhere in the house - after a week of flipping back to her chat window more frequently, Neji does finally glimpse a hint of lime green and an eyeful of cleavage; he freezes, stares, and imagines, though she slips away all too quickly, leaving him with images of an empty room on his screen, and a scantily-clad Tenten smirking at him in his mind's eye.

**#171 - Head**

The game of webcam-catch comes to a head in the heat of summer, when PrincessPanda tugs a blouse on and leaves it unbuttoned (and HProdigy's imagination runs astray with the scrap of white lace that does little to hide the dip between her breasts); he decides to return the favor while she is at her desk ("This weather begs for a change in attire," he types), and, leaving her view of his study unfettered, he steps away to tug his collared shirt off (and his pants, as an afterthought), before dragging a tank top and shorts on (Tenten is red in the face when he returns, and she isn't able to form comprehensible sentences for long moments after).

**#172 - Hollow**

Despite having a house and car to call her own, there is still an emptiness in PrincessPanda's chest that stems from being an orphan, that she doesn't quite know how to fill; there are close friends of hers, like Lee, Gai, Ino and Sakura, but the role they play is not quite what she experiences when HProdigy steps into her life - he matches her wit and parries it with smart remarks of his own, he is around when she needs a shoulder to lean on, and he is the only one to remain interested whenever she talks about weapons and warfare (and he becomes her best friend so quickly that it surprises her, a little).

**#173 - Honor**

They maintain their distance the next morning - Tenten is the first to wake and she removes herself gingerly from Lord Neji, pulling various articles of clothing back on (there are little bruises on her neck and breasts, and she covers them up as best as she can); she is by the door when he rouses from sleep; he does not say a word when she averts her attention to allow him privacy to dress (though why they require privacy after the events of the night before is anyone's guess); their greetings are formal and restrained, and neither mentions their lapse in conduct, or its implications (Tenten thinks pretending the incident never occurred is the best way to preserve their comradeship, and honor).

**#174 - Hope**

Ironically, it is Lord Neji who muses upon the possibilities of having Tenten by his side, not just as his guard, but as his wife; he does not ask her to marry him again, but the prospect lingers at the back of his mind, always - she is on the edge of his consciousness when he attends to clan affairs, she is by his side whenever he travels, and her presence soothes him to sleep when night falls, more than he cares to admit (and especially not to the lady herself).

**#175 - Light**

Conversation between them is light, if not sparse, on their journey back to the village; Tenten doesn't know what she can possibly say to Lord Neji without reminding herself of the night they strayed their boundaries (yet at the same time, that is all she thinks about when dusk has fallen and his breathing evens out), so she seeks safety in her role of a protector, and soldiers on, only talking when he speaks to her (and this new silence between them feels like a blade wedged deep in her side).

**#176 - Lost**

Learning in the dark is quite the educational experience - Tenten concentrates on what she remembers from the bamboo forest, the planes of Neji's chest, and the texture of his hair, and lips (soft and moist from their kiss); she follows the edges of his arms, to his fingers - he guides her back onto his midriff, and she doesn't know which direction she should head, so her fingers trail circles on his belly in a growing radius, until she meets with something stiff and velvety, pointing north like a compass (she gulps, hard), and suddenly she isn't quite so lost anymore, when she follows this new lead, her fingers skimming along veined skin, and Neji hisses at her touch.

**#177 - Metal**

Tenten is biting on her tongue so hard it tastes of copper; she trails behind Neji, dragging her feet on their way towards the training grounds, where Gai would be undoubtedly waiting for them (and the recent turn of events, not in the least, her brand new bedroom skylight, is enough to make her cringe at the prospect of meeting their sensei again); it really isn't entirely their fault that she and Neji have taken their explorations to greater levels (and in this world, knowledge is key, isn't it?); besides, Gai never talked about his own experiences (not that she wanted to know about them), so who was he to judge them, really?

**#178 - New**

A package is sitting on her doorstep when Tenten returns home from work, jingling her keys in anticipation of logging back onto her computer as PrincessPanda (and as usual, pinging HProdigy to find out about his day); she approaches the cardboard box warily, spying her name and address printed on a sheet on the top flaps of the box (what is "Amazon"?); it is a while before she quenches her suspicion of the parcel and brings it into the house, slicing the taped edges free with a penknife - a quick message to Neji, and the epiphany hits her like a cathode-ray TV; she keys a message to him and lets it fly across cyberspace, "I got something in the mail, Neji, does it have anything to do with you?"

**#179 - Old**

PrincessPanda sees vividly the smirk HProdigy does not indicate with his black sans-serif font; impatient, she leaves him to stew in his smugness as she tears the Amazon box open, egged by curiosity; and wrapped in a clear plastic bag within the box, she finds a thick tome of ancient Chinese battle histories, dusty and smelling like it hasn't been cracked open in years; she gapes, trailing her fingers over the embossed cover (the text is in traditional Chinese characters and she'll have to brush up her grasp of the language to read it, but damn, does Neji know what to surprise her with!

**#180 - Peace**

There is such peace in her world that it seems almost too perfect to be true; there are unrests at the borders of villages, and the threat of enemies all the time, but this is what Tenten lives for, to feel the thrill of adrenaline on missions and to be of value to her comrades - Team Gai takes missions as a four-man cell often, and she relishes their teamwork, with the added bonus of Gai and Lee not capering around like nitwits (although they sometimes do, for old times' sake); but best of all, Neji is alive, unlike a different world an eternity away, and no words can express her gratitude for having him beside her again.

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_Things will be picking up over the next few updates.. Three cheers for more plot! I can't wait to share them with you guys. :)_


	10. Part 10

_And it's the weekend! Have an update as a reward for making it through the week :) From part 10 onwards, we'll see a lot more answers to our questions.. I hope you'll enjoy them. ;)_

_To the anon reviewer: Thank you again for the kind (and long!) review.. Is there any way I can contact you privately? :P I'm glad you were amused by HProdigy and PrincessPanda.. More of them to come in this part. ;) I do try to use the most appropriate words where possible.. and do have a good day yourself!_

_As usual, Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. Prompts are from LiveJournal community 1sentence._

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**#181 - Poison**

The images on PrincessPanda's screen are like a quick-acting toxin - HProdigy is tugging his shirt and pants off as if she weren't looking, when he very well knows she is (she gulps hard at the snugness of his briefs - is it even legal for men to wear that?), and heat trickles along her veins - she can't decide if she is more aroused or embarrassed, because Neji is more delicious than she's ever imagined him to be, and these are images she cannot (will not) unsee; he returns to his desk in a tank top and shorts, and words have left her bereft (her face is burning hot, and her body hotter yet).

**#182 - Pretty**

_The_ Hyuuga Neji has often been labelled as a pretty boy by countless tabloids, for his regal features, yet to Tenten, he is anything but, when her eyes are glued to her computer screen and she sees the fine sheen of sweat through the coarse grain of his webcam image, and his body screams of masculinity to her; she swallows and tries to think of something to say (her mind is chanting, _sex, sex, sex_) and she is afraid that if she tries to speak, she'll blurt her traitorous thoughts, that he looks good, that her body is responding in overdrive; she can't do this, not when he's the closest person to her and she doesn't want to lose him because of her hormones _(damnit, Neji, why can't you just be a pretty boy for once?)_.

**#183 - Rain**

It is raining lightly on the morning the little Lord Neji learns that his father has passed on; he is disbelieving, and grabs at the body beneath heavy white cloth (murmurs are spreading that Lord Hizashi has died in place of his older brother, Hiashi); his father's eyes are closed and he is cold, so cold; Hizashi does not respond even when Neji's cries turn frantic and he shakes his father's shoulders (he can't die, Mother has gone and Father is the only family he has, he doesn't like the other Hyuuga much at all); Neji finds himself tearing down muddy roads and through the village - the colorful tent is still there but he doesn't want fun and games right now, he wants his father back - and he crashes headlong into someone else, knocking them both to the ground.

**#184 - Regret**

"Watch where you're going!" a girl's voice begrudges him - he blinks to regain his bearings, that deadweight still pressing on his chest, and realizes it's the girl from the circus, the one with buns on her head and who flies through the air like there's no tomorrow - Lord Neji glares at her, for daring to be in his path, for just being where he is right now, and gets to his feet slowly, mud caking in his clothes; "You're in my way," he tells her with a half-hearted glare (it's not as if she knows what it's like to have a piece of her missing; his head is still spinning and he is trying very hard not to cry), and before he regrets it, he aims a barb at her, hurting so much he wants someone else to experience the same, "You're just a girl - what do you know about anything, anyway?"

**#185 - Roses**

She flushes a rosy shade, this mud-covered girl whose name he doesn't know (but he does see that her eyes are hazel and her deep brown hair isn't quite the local tint); Neji is about to turn and get away from everything, including her, when the light of recognition glimmers in her eyes, and she recalls, "You're the boy from the other day, the one with your father," and the mention of his beloved father is almost too much to bear; a dry sob leaves his chest, tears prickle at his eyes, and Neji turns on his heels, sprinting the fastest he can as his vision blurs and he remembers the blank lilac stare of his father's eyes.

**#186 - Secret**

"Cat got your tongue?" HProdigy jests as he leans back in his seat, feeling cool and hot at the same time (the tank top and shorts are helping to dispel heat, but Tenten has forgotten that her blouse is still open and the white lace bra mocks him to no end); the attraction he reads in her stare is amplifying his own, and he's glad that he's sat down when he did, because blood is fast pooling in his loins and the shorts are starting to get a little too tight for his comfort (PrincessPanda is a woman, and he does not want to drive her away with carnal thoughts like his, much less a physical display, so he avoids the sexual tension entirely and changes the topic); "Any plans for the summer?" seems a safe enough question, so he goes with it, and contents himself with admiring the expanse of skin behind her clothes.

**#187 - Snakes**

It is in the forest that little Lord Neji slows down in his blind dash, his eyes wetter than they have ever been; his fists are clenched and he pushes deeper into the foliage, knowing only that he does not want to go home, where everyone else has a happy family and he has no one left; there is a hollow in the spreading roots of a large tree that he seeks comfort in, a woody embrace, and it is only after he's shed all his tears of self-pity that he hears a slow crunch on the forest floor, and panicks (Father has warned him not to go into the forests, for there are venomous snakes around), until the same muddy girl he bumped into earlier appears from behind a tree, and he heaves a sigh of relief.

**#188 - Snow**

"It is sure pretty out here," Tenten sighs, spinning in circles in the thick layer of snow; Neji agrees with a fractional incline of his head, though it is far more entertaining to watch her amuse herself with the powdery substance; he does have work to do on the computer, though, and turns away after a while, ready to return - "Neji!" she calls from behind, and just as he looks back, a snowball hits his face, crumbling upon impact; Tenten giggles ("A hundred shots, a hundred bullseyes," she tells him), and he tries his best to muster some righteous anger and energy for countless snowballs; she is going to be one soaked woman after he's done with her.

**#189 - Solid**

With the blindfold on, the scraps of light in her apartment diminish into inky black, and Tenten feels anticipation creep along her veins like melting butter; Neji's presence circles her, slowly, and her breath lodges in her throat when he steps up close, light pressure slipping over the buttons of her too-small blouse; he has requested a formal shirt for today's private lesson, without chest bindings or a bra, and Tenten feels a little exposed with her breasts pressed against the thin fabric of the blouse (today is about touch, he suggested); Neji's fingers dance over the stretched cloth where her chest is threatening to spill from its confines, and then his touch becomes firm, solid against the undersides of her breasts, warmth seeping tantalizingly into her flesh.

**#190 - Spring**

Tenten quivers in the darkness, unaware that she's barely breathing, her attention tacked so tightly to the searing path that Neji's fingers take; he caresses her nipples (they are sensitive and straining against the single layer of her blouse) and undoes the first button, then the second, and cool air filters into the opening of her shirt, along with his fingers (he touches along the tops of her breasts, and down between them, his digits wedging between her flesh - she hears the stumble in his breathing and knows he's just as affected as she is), and finally the third button is freed, and her breasts spring from their fabric confines; Neji swallows audibly, and it feels like forever before he bends down and takes a stiff nipple into his mouth.

**#191 - Stable**

Steady, her breathing is not, when Neji tugs on the crest of her breast and all she can do is feel - the warm wetness of his mouth and the pressure on her flesh; little curls of pleasure racing along her nerves when his teeth graze her skin; Tenten grips at him to hold him in place, a silent plea for a little more; he grabs her hips and kneads her bottom - his fingers are catching on her skirt and she gasps, squirms, when he teases the hem of her panties and she knows very well what she wants when he has reached that part of her body - Tenten rolls her hips at him, and he smirks, stays his fingers on the boundaries of her undergarment.

**#192 - Strange**

"Cheers," Lee salutes with a lift of his glass; it is the first time the three of them are back together again, in a restaurant overlooking the rest of the city, and the knot in Tenten's stomach has not settled yet (having both Neji and Lee with her after so many years feels weird - the camaraderie between them has gone and she only really knows Lee now); Neji mimics her when she raises her glass in response, though he is only really looking at her, and she is trying her best to avoid meeting his gaze.

**#193 - Summer**

Their conversation revolves around summer plans and what they have been doing recently (Lee is now one rank below _taijutsu_specialist in the academy he teaches at, and Neji has been building his reputation as a criminal defense lawyer - in comparison, Tenten feels as if she hasn't accomplished much since their school days, and states plainly that she's doing the same as always, though she has taken up archery lately (Neji slides a quick look at her but says nothing)); she fiddles with her glass, and is quietly glad when their dinner is served, as a break from conversation.

**#194 - Taboo**

Gai does not touch that improper subject of sex for a long time, much to the relief of Neji and Tenten (she still has yet to demand repairs for her skylight), though he does angle a suspicious look at them time and again, and Lee has taken to asking Tenten what certain terms in books mean (Neji has curtly declined to answer any such questions); instead of intimacy, Gai now lectures them on responsibility and restraint, leaving Lee a little mystified, and the other two more than a little indignant.

**#195 - Ugly**

The threat of a thunderstorm forces Tenten to hunt for an immediate solution to the skylight problem, and her person of choice is Neji, who agrees to help out of duty; neither of them have any experience in roof repair, however (the shopkeeper at the hardware store thought they were talking about a leak in the roof at first), and they spend ages hunched over the Gai-sized hole, laying wood and tiles down - the process takes hours and leaves them sweaty after, and the ceramic tiles are the wrong shade; Neji thinks it's the ugliest piece of work he's ever done.

**#196 - War**

Pain and death are a distant memory, and war is all but nonexistant in her perfect world; Tenten feels as if she's already in Heaven, with Neji watching her in all solemnity and his proposal hanging in the air between them; she remembers their conversation about forever (it's now or never) and says _Yes, I will be your wife_, because they've learnt the hard way that the future is full of uncertainties, and if Neji is offering her a life with him, she'll take it, no questions asked.

**#197 - Water**

They are sitting in Tenten's room, watching the newly-repaired skylight as fat raindrops splatter on her windows; Neji is confident in their handiwork but Tenten isn't quite sure - it has been half an hour and the plastic sheet beneath the ceiling remains dry; hopeful now, she allows herself to relax and leans her head on Neji's shoulder; sure enough, the _drip-drip-drip_ of water on plastic creeps upon them soon after, and she groans, cursing Gai for his unconventional intrusion and the consequences she has to face.

**#198 - Welcome**

Tenten growls low in her throat, impatience driving her fingers into Neji's hair; in the darkness of her apartment, there exists only her and him, and he has backed her up against the wall, his fingers never quite landing on where she aches between her legs; her senses are heightened in the absence of sight, and her panties are damp; with a low groan, she grabs his hand and shoves his palm against her crotch, grinding hard against him in a way that leaves nought to his imagination.

He smirks, slips two fingers beneath the scrap of cloth, and his touch brings such a welcome relief that she moans and trembles against him, wetting him with her desire; it seems that Neji himself isn't infallible to lust either, when his breathing turns ragged, and he follows her heat with his fingers to where she burns hottest.

**#199 - Winter**

They marry that very winter, and the wedding is perfect, like how Tenten thinks a ceremony with Neji should be; their friends and family are crowded around them in a quiet hall on the Hyuuga compounds, and Gai (in perfect form, nowhere near green spandex) is the one to give Tenten away; there are tears in his eyes but he does not cry a rainbow (much to her relief); the familiar sting of pain is but a prickle when they nick their thumbs on a ceremonial dagger and join hands, to mingle their blood - it lights a fire in them that overcomes the winter chill.

**#200 - Wood**

"The wood is standing tall this morning-" "I beg your pardon, HProdigy-" "What part of that did you not understand-" "It, um, that is, are you using an, um, an euphemism _(BLUSH)_-" "Euphemism- _(blush)_ Tenten, did you think I said-" "Morning wood, yes, Neji- I think I'm lacking in caffeine-" "_(Pause)_ You do need to wake up, PrincessPanda, I do not mention these subjects lightly-" "I, um, I need to go, Neji, forget I ever said that-" "Maybe-" "Neji-" "Are you propositioning me-" "Argh- that's it, Neji, I'm hanging up- _(click)_" _-end tone, end tone, end tone._

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_More plot/answers to come in the next part! ;)_


	11. Part 11

_And... the fun begins. ;)_

_To those who inquire about the status of Recollections of Heaven: No, I have no idea when it will be next updated. I am a sucker for plot, and Postcards has got me hook, line and sinker. ;)_

_As usual, Naruto and its characters don't belong to me. Prompts are from LiveJournal community 1sentence._

* * *

**#201 - Motion**

The first time they meet after Neji begins law school is at a cafe near his campus; it has been difficult for him to take a break from his studies, he says, because there is always a mountain of books to be read, tests to prepare for and assignments to be done; Tenten is inwardly glad that she doesn't have to go through all of that, yet at the same time, she sees with stark clarity that Neji's path will propel him to greater heights, while her own budding career as a bartender will go nowhere, and lead her to nothing great in particular.

**#202 - Cool**

It is obvious that Neji is one of the cool kids at law school, with his leather briefcase and Gucchi sunglasses (she always feels a little out of place meeting him after class, before she begins her shift), though his shades are never between them when they talk, and she loves looking into his lilac eyes; Tenten is happy that they are still friends even after high school, though a little part of her wishes for more, and she convinces herself that she will never be in his league of the rich and well-educated.

**#203 - Young**

Neji asks her out to a college party one day, and she agrees, because it's her day off and the first time he has ever invited her to attend an event with him; Tenten spends a long time deciding on her clothes, and finally decides on an elegant black-and-white dress with her usual twin buns (Neji is handsome and regal when he picks her up at her door and she forgets to breathe); she does immediately feel outclassed when they arrive at the party, where all the other girls look prettier and richer than she is; Tenten downs a shot of tequila when a waiter offers her one, to bolster her confidence.

**#204 - Last**

To her surprise, Neji stays with her through the college party and does not leave her side; their conversation turns a little flirtatious when alcohol removes her inhibitions and he drinks a little too much (and she has wanted him for so long that it doesn't feel wrong to push for a little more); her heart pounds when he presses her up against a wall suddenly and kisses her throat (they are in a dim corner and there is only him and her, his lips on her skin); her knees are weak and she gasps - he refocuses his attention on her mouth and her mind reels; she is clutching at him, running her hands over his chest and grabbing at his hips (he is hard behind his clothes and she trembles, for sheer want); her last sensible thought is of stopping him, though it is quickly pushed aside when they fumble their way into a bathroom and lock the door behind them.

**#205 - Wrong**

The bathroom light is a little too bright and Tenten squints; Neji is sucking on her neck and running his palms over her body - he has her dress unzipped halfway and her breasts lifted from her bra - the tension in her body is coiling tight, her heart is thumping and her flesh aches, though a tiny voice in her head is telling her that they shouldn't be doing this; it is only when she has his pants undone and his bare length is grinding wetly into her palm that the alcohol wears off a little, and she starts, staring over his shoulder at their reflection in the mirror; Tenten pushes at him lightly, then shoves, when he does not take the cue; he stumbles two steps from her and she dresses with shaky fingers, and tucks him back into his clothes (quickly, before he realizes what she's doing - and damn, but is he big); she drives him back to his place that night, and hails a cab to take herself home, where she falls into bed and dreams about Neji, that bathroom, and what could have happened between them.

**#206 - Gentle**

"You were crying," says the muddy girl he crashed into earlier as she approaches him from behind a tree; little Lord Neji stares warily at her and wipes at his eyes with dirty hands ("What do you want?" he responds reluctantly); "Something happened to your father," she pulls a sad face and comes to sit beside him, a little closer than he likes ("It's none of your business," he tells her); he almost orders her to go away, when she mentions, "My parents are gone from this world," and it strikes him that she is an orphan like he is, though she shrugs, "I never really knew them," and places a grubby arm over his shoulders, in what she probably thinks is a comforting gesture.

**#207 - One**

She leads him out of the forest that evening, when the birds are returning to roost, and little Lord Neji wonders how she remembers the way out; he does not ask, however, and blindly follows when she brings him back to the colorful tents, where a huge fire is roaring, and there is much dancing and music to accompany each lively flicker of flame; the girl grabs his hand and grins at him, and he stares at the fire reflected in her eyes - she guides him through one dance, and the next, and it feels as if he has found a very special friend that night.

**#208 - Thousand**

He never discovers what her name is, the girl who comforts him in the forest, and who shows him the bonfire; the circus moves on the very next day, leaving little Lord Neji behind, wandering the streets daily in the hopes of seeing her return; all he remembers are her warm hazel eyes and the twin buns atop her head; he is later to search among thousands of pairs of eyes, never quite finding the one set that looked upon him with kindness, alive in golden firelight (and he forgets, later yet, what exactly he has been seeking).

**#209 - King**

"Are you going to tell our flower your feelings for her?" Gai asks, standing next to Neji on the edge of the looking-glass pond in Heaven; it is not the first time that Gai joins him during his vigil over Tenten (Neji tends to be mellow when his mentor does not proclaim the joys of youth exuberantly), and he nods in affirmation ("I already have," he supplies), though whether Tenten is willing to accompany him in this afterlife is her call - he is no king and does not expect her to abide by his wishes (he supposes he'll be fine even if she decides that they will just be friends in Heaven).

**#210 - Learn**

Two becomes three when Lee passes on into Heaven; Gai and Lee are there by the pond with Neji sometimes, and it breaks their hearts to watch her struggle with living, when her family is gone and she visits their graves alone ("But we're up here watching you, Tenten!" Lee yells at her unhearing ears); it does not surprise Neji when Lee places a hand on his shoulder and says, "She is still very much in love with you," though the solemnity with which he speaks does, and Neji realizes that one is able to rewrite his opinions of people even when he is in Heaven.

**#211 - Blur**

He wakes up with a splitting headache and tries to remember - his clothes smell of stale alcohol and he doesn't know how or when he got home; Neji pinches the bridge of his nose and retraces his steps from the previous night - picking Tenten up (she dressed simply and captivated him nonetheless), attending the party, and drinking in an attempt to further their conversation; a hot shower eases dried sweat off and flicks snippets of moments into his mind, of a dim corner, with Tenten pressed up against him, and another, in a bathroom, where she's gazing at him and he's lifting her breasts from her bra- oh gods.

**#212 - Wait**

Neji does not contact her the day after the college party, and Tenten glances at her phone nervously on occasion; she dares not consider the possibility that he has remembered what transpired between them the night before (she's touched him in the most intimate way and isn't able to forget how he looked in her palm), even if nothing consequential really happened; but she is not waiting - definitely not - for any semblance of acknowledgement from him, although the resulting dreams grow a little more steamy and explicit with every night that passes.

**#213 - Change**

There is an unmistakable difference in the air the next time they meet, after Neji's classes and before Tenten's bartender shift - they pretend that the night of the college party never happened, and Tenten is a little more nervous than before (yet she thinks about - knows - what's beneath his clothes and curses the desire that comes with the territory); Neji does not miss the slight flush of her cheeks, the dilation of her pupils, and reaches out subconsciously to touch her cheek; she flinches, reddens, and he sees the slight heave of her chest; his body responds, and he dislikes that he doesn't quite know what to do, or say, to give them what they want without also dooming their friendship to Hell.

**#214 - Command**

"You can be easily targeted, even in your own home," HProdigy tells PrincessPanda one day, and she raises an eyebrow in disbelief, until he types, "Allow me," and her cursor is suddenly unresponsive (to her shock, _Ctrl-Alt-Del_ doesn't work either); she sees Neji smirk at her through their chat window, and fairly screams and leaps from her seat when the CD tray pops out on its own, as if possessed- "Stop it!" she yelps, spooked, and Neji returns control of her computer to her (it does give her an idea, though, of how vulnerable the internet can make her, both physically and mentally).

**#215 - Hold**

"I had no idea you were this jumpy," HProdigy types, smirking at her in his webcam image; "I am not!" Tenten snaps back, "You just surprised me, is all," and squeals again when her CD tray pops back out- "Neji!" she admonishes, staring when he tries to stifle his laughter; "I've never seen you laugh," she tells him, amazed, and watches while he straightens his face, clearing traces of amusement in record speed (she wishes he could've held that smile longer while she took a screen capture for future reference, because he is handsome in a regal sort of way).

**#216 - Need**

It happens the night Neji has a vicious argument with his uncle, when he drops by Tenten's apartment to have a beer on the way home (she's off from work tonight, she tells him, though alcohol isn't a good idea when he has law classes early tomorrow); she mixes a potent cocktail on his request, against her better judgement, and kneads his shoulders to work the knots of tension out as the liquor settles into him; they end up kissing on the couch somehow (the taste on his tongue is heady and she hopes he doesn't remember this, either) - he is sucking along her throat before she knows it, trailing his lips along her clavicles and down between her breasts (no bra, not tonight); Neji takes her nipple into his mouth through her tank top, his hands linger at her hips, and common sense flees her mind.

**#217 - Vision**

Neji, with his Byakugan eyes, grows up learning to depend on his vision, and things he can see, that he fails to notice things his eyes alone don't tell him, like trust, friendship, and teamwork; it takes Gai an especially long time to ingrain into Neji that teamwork is utterly necessary in their lives as _shinobi_, though he comes to understand Tenten's role in their four-man cell first, with her mid-range capabilities, when they are ambushed by enemies in the dead of the night and he can only take so many down at any given time.

**#218 - Attention**

Trust is something Neji does learn quickly, when Team Gai runs into more enemies on their first C-ranked mission than they ever have, and Lee and Tenten take turns to guard his back (it is also the first time he gets a _kunai_ wedged in his side and it hurts - Tenten cleans the wound out after, her face drawn with worry (he is silently ashamed of himself, because the Hyuuga are above getting hurt)); Neji has never seen much goodwill directed at him, and the attention feels foreign, albeit pleasant.

**#219 - Soul**

Friendship is one of the few things that Neji eventually allows to grow on him; he isn't envious of the bond Tenten forges first with Lee, the abject failure on their team, and watches their lively banter, thinking he doesn't need it; somehow, though, he finds himself stuck with her when Gai and Lee tear around Konoha on their hands, and her exasperation at the pair resonates with him; thus, their quiet comradeship begins, and Neji feels a sense of belonging with her that slowly returns color to his jaded spirit.

**#220 - Picture**

There is one photo whose existence Neji would very much like to annihilate; it is one taken on Tenten's thirteenth birthday, a year after they have been on the same team - her wish was to tie his hair in buns, like hers, and it took forever and a great amount of cajoling before he agreed; after which Gai immediately snapped a picture with an instant camera, of his sour face topped with twin buns (it remains one of his greatest embarrassments today); there is another picture from that night, however, of him with Tenten, their hairstyles a mirror image of the other, that he has retained, and it remains one of his most treasured pictures of them together for a long time to come.

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_Hope you enjoyed this update... There is actually a fan-art accompanying #220 - the link is on my profile page, because FFN doesn't let you highlight words on these fic pages.  
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_Happy weekend, everyone, and here's to more plotty stuff to come!_


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